The Years Before : The Remake
by Akua
Summary: This is a remake of The Years Before.. Harry Potter has been picked by the Gods like the Lords before him. And like the Lords before him, he has a teacher... named Eclipse. DemonDiaryXHarry Potter crossover.
1. Thus the Story Goes

**The Years Before (The remake)**

Disclaimer : This is an AU. Which means that it won't be like the original series (of either books). It is also a crossover between Harry Potter and Demon Diary. And also a little quick story from the back of Demon Diary ( the first book ). If you actually read this, you would know that only the plot is mine. If I make any original characters, I will put up a notice before the chapter officially starts. I really doubt that I will, though. Also, this is a re-make! I didn't like the old version. There was so much more I could have done with everything. And I think I ended it rather weird.. But I like the ending, who doesn't? But anyway! Dear readers, this is a remake, and it'll have new stuff! It'll be vital to the re-make of the sequel I've already started making. So go ahead and reeaadd..

And I may decide to change a few little things, if you suggest.

**Prelude**

_Ancient Legend holds... That whoever posses the Crystal Heart... Posses pure happiness itself. But true happiness comes with a price of someone else always wanting it. True happiness is what all beings, humans, demons, elves, gnomes, and goblins, its what they want. All things want happiness. _

_A race of beings made by the God. They were born like us, human and alive. There was no true distinction between humans and this humanoid race. Their appearances were the same. Their emotions were the same._

_They even bled when they were cut. _

_But these beings, as they grew and learned of the ones they loved. The ones that they would give anything for, about the person that they want to be happy. Forever. And as they grow with these people or person, their heart crystallizes from the powerful emotions of love that this being feels. And in an offer of their gratitude, they reach within, and pull out the treasure that resides in their chest. And present the ultimate form of happiness, to the one they want to be happy forever.. _

_The giving of their hearts is a test. It was a test of loyalty, and a test of the love they held for that person. If the one whom the heart is given to, truly loves these beings, they will put the heart back in and give life back to the giver. The test was the ultimate form of trust and love, completed by both parties. If the person presented with the crystallized heart was undeserving, their emotions shall rise up and they will take it, leaving their once-love to waste away and die with their loved one gone. _

_The heart was never thought of a curse by those who wanted it. But by those who carried it the heart within their bodies. They never knew that they possessed a Crystal Heart, only after they had already pulled it out and by then it is too late. For most of them._

_And thus, the story goes._

* * *

An ebony furred cat walked down the street. Each stride the cat took was done with a flowing grace. Like that of a person who was far too used to the task.

The street the cat was strolling down had houses on either side, each the same as the ones before. All of the buildings were two story high, with bleached looking, white washed walls. Pristine white, garden fences that separated the fake looking grass. Each house had a flowerbed in front of the front window. Most of the flowers were a plain white, and sometimes yellow. In each driveway was some ebony colored car. Clean from being washed constantly. The sign above the street had the words ' Privet Drive.'

If the cat had a human face, one could hold no doubt that it would have a twitching eyebrow. The cat itself was rather odd looking in appearance. Being that it had two silver lines of fur on it's back. Like it was getting old age and showing it. And on the back of it's left ear was a golden crescent moon that stood out against the pitch colored fur on the rest of the cat.

The cat walked by the first house of Privet Drive stiffly, looking briefly from side to side, eyes narrowed in some form of concentration. It had to be looking for something important, maybe it was looking for it's next meal, or someone sucker enough to feed it. The cat didn't have a collar, so it obviously had no owner, unless the collar had fallen off. Though, by now the smooth grace the cat had walked with before, was now gone. Each muscle bunched up under its fur, like it was walking to a suicidal war mission.

There went Privet Drive, houses two and three. It walked straight by those numbers. It was early in the morning. It was early enough for most adults to be awake and in the process of waking their children for the day. The early morning hours were the hardest to tell apart from the position of the shadows or the sun. But the cat suspected it was between the hours of six or seven. Maybe closer to one or the other but it was of little consequence for a cat. And thus, no one was paying attention to the outside world to see the peculiar cat strolling down the street, too busy in the morning ritual of waking up.

The cat moved on, slowly starting to pass number four, of Privet drive, before it froze completely. Muscles halting and stilling with unwanted movement. Maybe it let out a small yowl as it froze, but the sound was lost to the air around it as a small breeze sifted through the neighborhood.

The cat's ears flattened onto the back of it's head, lowering it's body closer to the ground as it backed out of the driveway with slow, cautious steps. Once it was out of there, the cat was up and leaping, taking refuge behind the other side of the garden fence, peering around it at the still front door.

With an eerie calmness, the cat sat and waited. Much akin to what a serpent would do for it's prey. A cold-blooded creature such as a snake could wait for hours before initiating the attack.

Time passed slowly, the sun creeping just a little farther up, and the sun banishing the morning chill away. Only then, did the door finally opened. Out stepped an extremely heavyset man. His loud thundering footsteps slapping the concrete of the walkway and the driveway as he moved to the car. Loud enough to almost sound like thunder claps and loud enough to make the cat flinch and tense.

The man was tall, as well as huge. His hair was a dirty blond with gray strands just now working through it. He wore a custom made suit, since no normal shop would carry anything for his size and bulk. On his face was a thick handlebar mustache that was already fully gray. The man's black, beady eyes darted back and forth on the driveway, before moving to his car.

The.. thing, that followed after could be considered human, after thinking for a few minutes. The.. child was like a baby whale, his peach white skin had no sign of weather or tan. His dirty blond hair was gelled to lie smooth on his head, looking rather more like a wig then well groomed hair. But who in their right minds would put a pig in a wig?

The child had a neon yellow pack on his back. With some design favored by children in the era they were in. The child's watery blue eyes were glued to the passenger side of the car as he waddled over to it. His footsteps weren't nearly as heavy as his father's. But they were still pretty awful.

Even though the child was so.. big boned, it.. he only looked to be in Preschool.

Eventually, the father and his pig of a son drove away.

After the car was out of sight, the door opened once more, and an extremely scrawny boy was shoved out of the door. With the door slamming shut behind him. The boy stumbled foreword, arms pin wheeling. Sadly, in his left hand looked to be a heavy plastic bag, which smacked the boy in the back of his head as he frantically waved his arms.

The ending effect was his glasses flying away and thankfully onto the grass as the boy landed flat on his face. The boy laid still for a moment, before he groaned and pushed himself up.

The boy was pale skinned, but it looked like a natural tone of his skin. His eyes were a vibrant, emerald color that did take up a large portion of his face. On his forehead, to the left side that was hidden mostly by bangs, was a lightning shaped scar, he looked to be around 5, to six years old.

The boy brushed himself off, and made sure there had been no damaged done to his bag, before he set it down. He moved back onto his hands and knees and cautiously scurried around, reaching out and feeling around for the dropped glasses.

The boy, known none other than Harry Potter frowned to himself, left hand flat on the ground with his right hand outstretched as he reached around. His glasses shuddered, before they levitated a centimeter or two off of the ground, and flew straight into his out stretched hand.

Harry smiled brilliantly, shoving the glasses back onto his face. He couldn't see a thing without these cursed, yet blessed object. The thick, black, oval frames easily hid away the color of his eyes but they allowed him to clearly see the world around himself. Harry's short, messy hair flopped to the side as the kid stood again, and he snagged his bag from where he had left it.

The boy was wearing a faded, too large shirt that almost reached his knees. The elbows on both sleeves of the shirt were worn out, leaving small holes. The front of the shirt was pinned shut with a decorative little button pin his Aunt had showed him how to make, so nothing fell off his shoulders. He was wearing a pair of warn, gray colored jeans and what had to be a belt hidden under that shirt.

The boy rubbed the bottom of his chin with the back of his left hand as he moved, rushing his short legs as he walked down the driveway. He hadn't skidded when he had made himself fall over, so there were no scrapes upon his person. He had just suffered from a bit of lack of breath. His feet were practically silent. The only sounds came from the broken soles of his trainers slapping against the ground. Harry really did need new shoes.

And Harry walked with an ease of a person who had done this often. And the black cat trailed after the boy with the ease of an animal that was used to stalking things. The long, black cats tail swishing in the air as it followed along.

Suddenly, the cat darted foreword, circling around Harry's feet with a yowl. Harry gasped in surprise at the sudden appearance. Harry jumped back and almost stepped on the cat as he ran around the back of his legs. Harry regained his posture as he stared down at the black cat, which was now rubbing itself against his legs.

Harry looked down the street in the general direction of his destination, and back to Privet Drive number four. Seeing that on one was around to scold him, Harry quickly set his bag down and crouched down where he was standing. Harry's hands reached out and threaded themselves through the somewhat long strands of black fur on the cat's body.

"Good morning Mister kitty.." Spoke Harry quietly, tugging gently on the cat's two ears. Harry grinned when the cat let out some kind of meow. Before he removed his hands, standing up and moving so he could continue on. The cat yowled loudly, moving to sit on one of Harry's shoes, claws sinking in to one of the legs of Harry's pants.

Harry looked down at the cat with a look of surprise as he said "mister kitty, I don't have any food, and you shouldn't sit there, I need to be going.." Harry spoke to the cat, almost as if it was a human being. But after 'speaking' with a little garden snake he had found (the thing had /nodded/ to him before it had slithered off!), Harry assumed that all creatures understood humans. He hadn't encountered anything that spoke against this claim.

But then again there weren't that many animals to talk to either.

The cat stayed still, keeping to where it had attached itself. Harry sighed, and grumbled to himself as he started foreword, dragging his left leg after himself (it was the one the blasted cat was sitting on), he didn't want to step on the cat's tail. That would be like.. someone stepping on his hand. With a lot of force considering how easy it was to hurt a cat's tail compared to stepping on a human's hand.

After a few minutes of this nonsense, and until Harry finally walked around the curb onto another street, only then did Harry finally stop walking and he plopped onto the floor. Harry set his bag next to himself, grumbling faintly. "I don't want to be late, Mister Kitty, what do you want..?"

The cat, whenever the word 'mister' was mentioned, it would flatten its ears on top of his head. Looking very crossed, if that would be the proper word to describe it. Harry shook his own head when the cat didn't bother to answer back. Harry reached foreword, his hands going to where the cat's nails had sunk into his pants leg. From there, Harry started to work on pulling the claws out and he spoke quietly.

"Wow.. where do cats hide their nails, anyway? All I see are big fur puffs. You know, I bet you must be hungry, why else would you attach yourself to someone? You have an owner, right..?" Harry paused in his verbal rambles and removing the claws from their current position. Harry let go of the cat's feet, swift fingers reaching for the cat's neck, and they gently combed through the fur, looking for a sign of a collar.

Harry frowned to himself as he absently patted the cat on top of the head. "Lost your collar, then?" Harry didn't wait for an answer, instead he just hauled the cat off of his foot and onto his lap and getting an annoyed yowl for his hard work.

"Gah.. I'm sorry Mister kitty! You're heavy!" Said Harry automatically. It wasn't too much of his fault that he had picked up the cat the wrong way and had hurt it. His arms were pretty small and the cat was so big compared to them. The cat itself let out a little vexed hiss.

".. You're a really vocal cat.." Commented Harry, scratching the cat's ears, getting a little meow in return..

"I really wish I could keep you." Mumbled Harry absently. It would be wonderful to have a friend hanging around him all the time. Then he wouldn't really have to bother with his evil cousin and his bullocks for rumors. Who would honestly believe he would set fire to a dog?

Harry tilted his head back, looking up to the sky, before down at the cat. Harry blinked when he caught sight of the cat's vivid purple colored eyes. "Eh.." Mumbled Harry, eyebrows rising up. That was rather unnerving..

Harry felt a small smile grow across his face as he reached out, grasping the cat's front paws with both of his hands and shaking them up and down like a human handshake. "'Ello, I'm Harry James Raenef Potter. A pleasure, I'm sure." Said Harry, finishing his little introduction with a grin, Harry personally liked his rather long name. More so for the fact that if he ever got a real friend, he'd have them call him 'Rae'. Because Rae would end up being a bloody fabulous name, and Harry didn't really want to be called 'Potter'.

His Uncle usually called him 'Potter' or 'Boy', and both names always sounded so angry.

Harry froze though, when a rather deep, and adult sounding voice responded to his little introduction.

"And I am Eclipse."

Harry gasped, jumping slightly from where he was sitting on the ground. Almost upsetting the cat from his lap completely as he turned his head back and forth violently. Looking around for the adult that had snuck up on him.

After a moment, Harry stopped looking around, and he whispered to himself "did I just imagine that..?" Harry mentally smacked himself over the head, here he was, talking to himself again. That was hardly a good thing, his mental health was already in question due to his.. 'family'. The neighborhood had insisted that they took him to a mental doctor and had even made a little charity for it some time back. His Aunt had been informed that there was almost enough to send him to a really experienced Doctor. But he didn't need anyone to see him acting like this.

"Down here.."

The voice called again, and almost against his own will, Harry tilted his head down, looking to the cat that was sitting in his lap. Staring up at Harry with an expecting and all too human look in the cat's eyes. Harry suppressed a twitch as he stared down at the cat, waiting for its mouth to open and let out another yowl. Like cats were supposed to. That's how the world worked!

".. Why are you looking so pale, Master?"

Harry fainted as the cat broke the rules of the world.


	2. The Trouble With Cats

**Chapter 1 : The Trouble With Cats**

_"When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream." John Lennon_

Harry blinked and opened his eyes lazily, staring blankly forward. He felt warm, and still tired. Nothing registered to his eyes, already expecting the darkness of his cupboard. In fact, he hadn't even opened them that much, smaller then a simple squint, too small to see. Harry squeezed his eyes shut then, rolling over and onto his side, rubbing the side of his face against his pillow as he suppressed a yawn. It must be time for his Aunt to start pounding away on the cupboard door..

Harry stiffened suddenly, as a sense of wrongness pervaded his senses; something was off, so strange. And Harry noticed the first sign. There was a breeze in the air, if the soft tugging on his hair and clothes was anything to go buy, along with the unexpected chill that had appeared out of nowhere. Harry stilled a shudder, as the cold fingers of wind crept up his arms and down his neck. There was no airflow in his cupboard, even if he did leave the door open (he'd never do that, but still, that was besides the point), Dudley or one of his relatives would slam it shut while screeching. And there was the fact that he was /cold/. It was usually too hot in that cupboard. Along with that, was a thick, earthy scent that filled his nostrils as he pushed his face further into his 'pillow'.

Harry opened his mouth, and sputtered as a nasty taste flooded in, and he quickly sat up, spitting and rubbing his face with his hands. Swift words of "yuck! _Icckkkyyy_.." were repeated as he quickly cleaned off his face. Or just proceeded to spread the mud-like dirt and grass around his face.

As he was now sitting up, Harry took the time to look around. He noticed that he was still sitting outside, on the curb where he had stopped. The sun had risen somewhat high in the sky. Closing in on the noontime hour. Harry shook his head, hands going up and into his hair, shaking out the grass that had gotten clumped up there.

Harry blinked a few times; tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he slowly stopped shaking his hair with his hands. Harry pulled back in his tongue as he reached out, his hands locating the plastic bag he had been carrying. From here, Harry looked around for the black cat that he had been with earlier..

The cat was gone.

"Strange.." Mumbled Harry as he pushed himself up and off of the ground. ".. I must have been dream-walking.." Harry proceeded to brush off his clothes with his free hand. He shook his head, holding the handle of his bag with both hands in front of himself and he proceeded down the street. When Harry reached the end of the sidewalk, it was here that he had to cross.

Harry looked both ways, up and down the street before he hesitantly stepped off of the curb. From stepping off into the street, Harry scurried across the black tar. The broken heels of his shoes scattered a few loose chips of the tar on the way to the other side. Harry withheld a wince, he knew what it was like to fall on your knees on this thing. It had happened once before, when Dudley had bumped into him on accident. It really had been an accident, the whale wasn't able to keep an eye on all of his lard, though the fat bugger acted like he had done it on purpose.

From what Harry could gather, it was still early morning, so it wasn't like he was truly late. The official hours were from three hours before noon till 5 or 6 in the afternoon. Miss Figg always commented that he got to the house too early, and that he should spend more time with his Aunt, they were 'family', after all.

Harry made his way up the sidewalk, and onto a walkway that led directly up to a double story house. Like all the other houses that existed on these streets, it was white washed, had a garden under the main front windows. There wasn't a car sitting out front on this driveway, it was in the garage, from what Harry could remember. Miss Figg didn't get out often, and when she did, it was usually to walk down to the 'all around' store near the park.

She had to buy cat food somewhere. And that store knew that it should be well stocked.

At the door, Harry reached out, and rapped his knuckles on the doorframe. A moment later, a graying woman opened the door and ushered Harry inside, commenting about how he was 'later than usual'. Though, after a moment, she commented on his still dirty face.

"Harry, have you been _eating _dirt?"

.. Harry wasn't sure if he should just nod his head or shake it in a 'no'.

* * *

Over the next week, Harry had long since forgotten about the cat that had 'spoken' to him. Magic wasn't real, so animals couldn't talk. That was a basic rule of the world, that's how things worked, and that's how everything would remain. It was the law of the universe. Since could explain everything, if those flashes of the 'science channel' Dudley watched were anything to go by. Harry wasn't really allowed to watch, but when he was given the chore to clean up Dudley's mess.. He got to watch the telly as he worked. They were only small chores, pick up snack wrappers and a few toys, and move them to their proper place.

Harry was once again moving down the sidewalk to Miss Figg's house. Soon enough, he would get to stop seeing the crazy old cat lady, when he finally started Primary school. Maybe then he'd actually be able to make some friends.

Harry grinned to himself, hopping slightly in his steps in a skip like fashion, swinging his plastic bag a bit. "I can't wait.." Mumbled Harry to himself, he really couldn't. It wasn't like his Aunt and Uncle were truly horrible to him. They didn't hit him, they didn't starve him (though they may lock him inside the cupboard time to time, it was never more then a few hours, four at the most). They just.. gushed over Dudley all the time, and _ignored_ him. Well, his Aunt didn't ignore him some times, as long as her son wasn't in the room then Harry got some attention. Other children had gone through worse things then that, Harry had heard it on the news.

Compared to those people, the Dursleys were saints.

Harry stepped off of the curb, not bothering to look either way down the street. No one ever speeded through this area, and Harry no longer saw the point to it. Along with the fact that every person on Privet Drive would report whoever did so, to the authorities. People here had some weird quirks, and long names, as Harry had come to find.

Their next-door neighbor on number 3, Trui-something was their name. It was a man, woman and their daughter. Their daughter was two years older then Harry, and she was disgusted by the mere sight of Harry, if the look on her face was anything to go buy. Maybe it was because he had been covered in dirt when he had first met her. But it wasn't his fault it was garden day...

But when she saw Dudley, she would usually go pale and run back inside.

On number 5, it was just an old man and woman. Their children had long since moved out of the area. Or something like that. Harry had heard his Aunt speak about it over the telephone. Talking most likely to the middle aged woman in the house across from number 6. The house that rested in front of number 4 was open. The couple that had lived there had gotten a divorce a year back. It had caused quiet a stir, from what Harry knew.

He hadn't really cared at the time to bother listening.

He only remembered this all because his Aunt never shut up about her daily dose of gossip.

Harry stepped up and onto the walkway that Miss Figg owned. Glancing out and to the hunk of concrete known as the driveway that was usually empty. It was early, long before noon, and Miss Figg's car was sitting in its driveway. Harry's mouth moved, and he absently started to chew on his bottom lip. What if she had to go somewhere?

Harry bet she would lock him someplace so he wouldn't cause any trouble. Harry stopped in front of the front door, moving so his knees pressed against each other as he eyed the imposing object that was the gateway to a hell. Death by cats, or torture.. Which one would be quicker?

Maybe if he left now, and came back at noon, Miss Figg could have gone and done whatever she needed to do, and would put her car back in the garage.

The small, black haired boy sighed, before he raised a hand and turned it so his knuckles were facing the door, and he rapped against the loudest, least solid bit of wood on the door. It made more noise when he did that, and it hurt him less.

Once the motion was done, Harry dropped his hand and clung to his bag with both hands. After a few minutes of listening to the cat's inside yowling, Harry could hear the familiar footsteps that belonged only to the single, old woman living in the house. Harry automatically took a step back as he listened and waited.

These footsteps were even and steady, like the sound of a normal heart at rest. Unlike Mr. Dursley's waddle walk, which was repeated to his son. It was different from his Aunt's galloping walk.

It was kind of peaceful, in a way.

Miss Figg opened the door, dark eyes automatically trailing downward to where little Harry was standing. The wrinkled skin around her mouth drew back, and the skin around her eyes crinkled a little bit more as a large, pleasant smile stretched across her face. As if she was seeing her favorite nephew, and not the troublesome little boy from down the street.

"_Ah_! Harry! It's good to see you. Come on in and set your bag down, I have a surprise for you. We're going to head on down the shopping center near the primary school. I have to go on and buy some cat accessories.." Miss Figg spoke, her aging voice filling the room as she ushered Harry inside. The boy himself just nodded, that explained a lot.

.. maybe it would even be fun?

Harry handed his bag over to Miss Figg, who put it up and away into a cupboard. She left it there as she turned and walked back towards the front door. Her dark blue, long dress swished as she walked. And Harry followed behind her like an obedient dog. His dark gray shorts and worn, light blue shirt looked bland next to the rich dark of her blue dress.

Harry stepped out of the house as Miss Figg opened the front door; he then walked down the walkway and onto the driveway. Using the small connection between the driveway and the walkway to get across without stepping on the grass. Harry still wasn't sure what the old woman's thoughts were about stepping on grass. Her cats did it often enough.

Harry slowed his steps, until he came to a stop, standing next to the door that led to the backseat of the car. Harry looked to the car, and to Miss Figg, whose unhurried footsteps were still walking in their same, heart-pattern beat.

The boy looked up to the shiny, clean glass window of the car, and squashed the feeling on anticipation and anxiety. He didn't get to rid in cars often, but whenever he did.. There was always this sense of.. wrongness.

Harry really couldn't explain it. He had once heard from the telly that the feeling meant he had a phobia of cars. But that didn't make sense. He wasn't afraid! .. He was just a bit uneasy about it.

A click and pop brought Harry out of his thoughts as Figg opened the door and held it open for Harry, a smile on her face. Harry smiled back to her, and hurriedly scrambled into the car. Miss Figg waited till he was sitting down, before helping him put on his seat belt. She then closed the door, and moved to the driver's seat.

The heart-beat walk was soothing..

Harry's smile grew, closing his eyes slightly as he looked out of the window.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

* * *

Back and forth.. back and forth. The motion was soothing and constant. Like Miss Figg's heartbeat walk.

Harry smiled, perched on the bright yellow plastic of the swing, hands gingerly clasping the plastic wrapped metal links that held the swing on the dark blue metal bar.

Back and forth.. back and forth.

Harry tilted his head back as he looked up to the sky, a weightless feeling settling over him as he watched the clouds become closer, and then farther away, and back again. ".. Almost like flying." Mumbled Harry, closing his eyes in delight. It was the thought of being able to fly, it was just.. amazing.

And for some reason, it seemed so _real_.

Although his small, skinny legs didn't have the power to make him go far or fast, it was enough. Just being able to move. Back and forth, back and forth and finally, as Harry's legs protested their movement, he finally stopped kicking them back and forth. And he road out the last of the swing's movement, perched on top with his green eyes fixed on the sky.

Harry finally lowered his eyes with a sigh as the last swings ended with his feet making small trails in the sand. He needed to get going.

They had visited a Pets Mart, and Miss Figg had let him hang around in the bird section. For some reason, the thought about being around foreign cats made Harry uneasy. Mainly because this was the place where the stray cats were sent off to. The animal shelter that had been established in this area had been shut down, and the building had turned into an office. So the new shelter was the Pets Mart.

Harry hadn't wanted to see if that weird cat from before was there. Although the details about the cat were fuzzy in his mind, Harry had no doubt that he'd recognize the cat if he ever saw it again.

Harry didn't want to see the cat again.

Eventually, they had left the store. Miss Figg had said that she needed to get a few more things, and had allowed Harry to run over to the park that was across the street from the shopping center. It was a large park, too. The kind of place that the Dursleys would bring him and Dudley, and then forget him in the locked car so they didn't have to deal with him. At least they'd crack the windows wide open for him if they did that, or at least wide enough while keeping in mind that someone might be able to steal the car. Or they'd walk, and make him sit at some bench with his Aunt. At least they didn't leave him alone when they did that.

Harry shook his head and hopped off of the still swing. It was getting late and Miss Figg had said she'd let him play for an hour. He had promised to meet the aging lady at her car. And Harry felt that his time was nearing the end.

The boy moved and lifted his arms above his head. From there he stretched, arching his back, much like the cats he was avoiding at the Mart. And Harry let his arms fall to his side as he grinned. Time to get going.

Harry moved, walking to where the crosswalk was. There wasn't a stoplight at the area, just the double, blinding white lines that marked it safe to cross. Harry glanced about. There was only a car coming, but it was pretty far away. It'd see him and slow down. There was no one else among the sidewalks. But in the parking lot across the way, there was a person or two moving about (from what Harry could see). A screech of a car from the parking lot brought no attention to itself.

So Harry stepped off of the curb.

The crossing was simply four lanes. There were two lanes for each direction; there was a stone divider in-between the two directions with a few bushes and trees growing in them.

It was by chance, a one out of a million chance that some fool had decided to increase his speed on the street that Harry stepped out on to cross. It was by chance that the driver reached down, looking away from the street as Harry moved to step off to steady a mug of coffee from falling over and when the man looked up and spotted the kid, he braked.

The long, high-pitched squeal rang through the air with the vengeance of a pissed cat. Harry stiffened when he heard the sound, head turning instantly to look to where it was coming from, and he froze, eyes widening as he just stared. He didn't so much as try to move away as the car slid forward…

…And collided harshly against Harry's side, sending the small form forward and into the street at a roll, head over heels. Harry skidded to a stop on his face, and laid on the ground completely still. His glasses had flown off of his face upon the collision, and were lying a few yards past Harry's still form, the glass shattered the frames dented. He had been hit by a car..

The man inside jumped out, his coffee that he had been balancing spilled onto the passenger's seat as he left. A few quick strides and the somewhat elderly man was next to Harry's body, and the next moment he was crouched down next to Harry, panicking. He had hit a child, and the child wasn't moving. He wasn't touching the child, out of fear of worsening the child's condition.

Or risk leaving some evidence behind for the death to be pinned on him.

"_Kid_!.. Get up.." Said the man, hesitantly reaching out and placing a hand on Harry's shoulder, and he shook it as he inspected the ground and child's torn clothes for blood. The skid had certainly ruined the front of his shirt. The large rip was there, the shirt only held together by the connecting piece on the bottom. The shorts and shoes seemed to be in fine condition compared to it.

Harry groaned faintly, arms moving as he pushed himself up at a slow pace. And when Harry was finally sitting up fully, the man could see that he wasn't harmed on his skin, not even a scratch. The man looked between the distance of where the kid landed, and his car, eyes wide as the panic slowly started to fade.

That was at least five yards..

The kid's face should have been wrecked. The man then proceeded in poking Harry, the neck, arms, torso. Asking questions like "are you alright?" "Does this hurt?" "Can you feel this?" "Does anything hurt?"

After a few moments, Harry had succeeded in worming his way away from the guy, and stood. His un-torn parts of his shirt were in rips, and more then a few holes in them. It was like he was wearing the clothes of someone who had been in an accident, and he hadn't been the one who had gotten hit.

Harry shook his head, hair flapping wildly as he stuttered. "Y.y.._yes_! I'm fine! I.. I.. I gotta _g..go_.." Harry said as he backed away from the slowly standing man. Harry turned on his feet, and dashed away. Making a bee-line for the parking lot, and to Miss Figg's car. Completely forgetting his mangled glasses on the street as he went.

The man stood there for a moment, before the sound of a car starting in the parking lot nearby had him come to his senses. He was standing in the street. His car was in the middle of the street, and it was still running. The man turned and headed back to his car. Before he froze, standing in front of his car. Looking down at it now left no doubt and no questions to what he had just seen even if it was unbelievable anyway. There was a full indent of a body in the front. The paint was cracked and flaked. It truly did look like he hit something. Or someone.

The man choked slightly, and scurried back into his car, buckling himself in, before speeding off, twice as fast as before.

A pair of violet eyes blinked slowly, from where it's owner was hiding inside a small bush. The two glowing, violet orbs gleamed with a hard earned intelligence.. Before a black, silky furred cat stepped out. The cat moved, and stood on the curb for a moment. Eyes locked on the parking lot.

With a switch of its tail, the cat disappeared.

* * *

**A/N : Yeah.. It's been a long time, and I have no real excuse for the long wait. Except that.. Harry Potter as a whole died for me. I think it was because of the latest HP book, Half-blood Prince-.. The Harry/Ginny pairing really killed it for me. I like Ginny just fine and all. Just, she can't be paired with Harry. Because for one, her character was never really developed, and two, Harry doesn't really know her too well, he's just being a horney teenager in that book.. BUT ANYWAY!**

**As you may have noticed, I have changed some things in the revision. This was what I meant to do. And this is why I won't be updateing 'Eyes of the Lost' till the revision of this is done. Because the chapter I already have up for that story will be revised to fit with the new things coming up in this story. Please don't be angry at the awkward updates. I've been having issues with writing.. and this chapter STILL seems wrong to me, but I'm posting it and moving on.**

**Please review.. It really helps the writing process. Also! If you want to submit ideas for any adventures Harry will have, feel free to do so! .. I kinda need some to help. xD -waves- Also, I hope the chapter isn't too short. I tried to make it long! Thanks for the reviews you lot have already given me. **

**-Akua**


	3. The Master and His Servant

**Chapter 2 : The Master and His Servant**

_"Don't fool yourself, we are all agnostic. The Greatest atheist with his science cannot disprove the existance of God, whereas the greatest theologian with his tales cannot prove the existance of God." _

_-Pope John Paul II_

It was two weeks after the incident with the car before it truly faded out of Harry's mind. Like many children, it was easy to move on and on to something else. Routine made the oddness of the past weeks disappear. With Dudley still going to Preschool, and Harry still being carted off to Miss Figg's home everything fell in to place once more.

That, and he Aunt had gotten him new glasses. But they were still of the same make, the same thick black frames that took up a large space on his face. But they had gotten a new prescription, something about the eye-doctor saying his eyes had gotten a little bit worse. But with the right lenses they should get better. He had said a bit more, had taken his Aunt off to the side and Harry had just looked to the little letter chart to occupy his time.

His Aunt didn't look that happy when she had grabbed his hand to move out. But she had started helping him a lot more since then.

Only, his Aunt had shoved him out earlier then normal this morning. Last night, he had gotten rather ill, eating some of the food his Aunt had made. Harry thought the food had tasted a little off, maybe it had turned rotten when they weren't looking. Dudley seemed fine, though. But that boy seemed to have a stomach of iron along with having multiple ones. Though, his Aunt had lessened his portions just a bit, Harry noticed it even if Dudley didn't. That extra bit had gone on to his own plate.

He hadn't slept too much last night, and this morning his Aunt made him wake up early to give him some nasty cough syrup. She had told him that because he hadn't finished eating what had been given to him, God had made him sick. Harry honestly didn't know that not finishing the plate would do that. But his Aunt had said so..

Harry stopped walking, closing his eyes and yawning. From his left hand hung his usual bag. Inside was a banana, a note to Miss Figg and a few papers and used crayons his Aunt had supplied. Instead of going to preschool, Harry just had a babysitter. Though, maybe just doing whatever he really wanted to all day was better then going with his cousin. Sure, the woman was odd, weird and all those other words his Aunt loved to use. But she was nice, but even Harry could consider the woman strange. Though, it seemed to fit that his babysitter was as strange as he himself was.

A boy who had dreams of flying motorcycles and a babysitter who loved cats more then anything else. Harry has seen her talking to them, too.

"Meo-"_ "GRAAHHH!"_ Harry shrieked, dropping his bag and spinning around, flailing his arms as he turned and looked down to.. the black cat.

Harry felt a chill run up his spin, looking into the deep, dark violet eyes on the cat that was looking at Harry… Kind of like how Harry imagined a cat would look at a fish. Or maybe even a mouse. Harry shuddered and slowly reached down, picking up his bag from where he had dropped in during his flailing, not removing his eyes from the still cat.

Harry didn't know why he felt so.. uneasy. All he knew was that the cat wasn't supposed to be there. "H.. hello mister k.. k.. kitty.." Stuttered Harry as he eyed the cat. Both hands were grasping the plastic handles of his bag as he watched the cat with wide, wary eyes.

"Maste-" _"AHHHH!"_ Harry shrieked again as he jumped away.

The cat! Look at what it had done! It had spoken. Harry felt as though his eyes were going to pop out of his head and his frantic little heart was going to fly away. "Oh my.. oh my.." Mumbled Harry, mumbling those words repeatedly as he backed away. And the cat merely followed, narrow violet eyes fixed on Harry.

And Harry couldn't look away. "N.. _nice _kitty. G.. _good_ kitty." Spoke Harry, trying to sound soothing. Was this thing rabid? After all, maybe he could just be hallucinating. After all, he was still a bit ill, or maybe that was just him making an excuse. His Aunt had given him some cough syrup. Wasn't there a new program that had said too much could cause hallucinations?

"Master.." The cat's deep voice went again, before the cat stilled and dipped his head low, before setting his bottom onto the ground and looking up at Harry. Harry stopped his backpedaling. Looking at the cat that was a good arms length away from him. Harry calculated how much time he would need from this spot to run over to Miss Figg's. Not too long. So Harry deemed himself safe from a most gruesome end by a black cat.

"Master, look to me." The cat said, and Harry's eyes that had looked away from the talking, universe-breaking cat looked back to the cat after looking at a street sign.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" Harry spoke, blinking at the other rather owlishly. That would explain everything. If this was a dream though, where was his flying motorcycle? He'd rather have a puppy then a cat, too.

"You're not dreaming, Master.." The cat spoke again, dipping his head.

Harry bit his bottom lip, and then spoke after a moment. Looking honestly confused with himself, "why do you keep calling me master?" Harry gasped and stiffened as the cat jumped up and bounded to Harry's feet with one small leap. He started to move prowling around Harry's legs as he spoke. "Because you are my master, Lord Raenef."

Harry decided it was a good time to faint again.

Harry drew back into the world of the living a few bear minutes later, the back of his head aching. Like that time he had fallen down the stairs, tripping on his loose trousers. He had landed on his back at the bottom, and the back of his head had landed on the bottom step. His aunt had taken him to the hospital, and they said he had gotten a concussion. They wouldn't let him nap for almost a whole day. His Aunt had been considerably nicer that day. Even his Cousin and Uncle. Though the next day was back to normal, though they made sure to clear out of his way once the tripping frenzy started.

He remembered his aunt had taken him to the hospital soon after that, and they had found out he had needed glasses.

Harry slowly raised and hand and pressed it over his face, pushing the metal frames down so he could feel the faint pinch on his skin. He was sweating a bit, and there was such a heavy weight on his chest. He was really ill this time, wasn't he? His Aunt might even take him to the hospital to see a Doctor again. Harry removed his hand from over his face and squinted at the glare.

Did he pass out while working on the garden?

"Are you feeling alright, Master?" Spoke the voice of the black cat that was lying on his chest while they were lying on the sidewalk. Harry stiffened immediately after spotting the creature. The cat dipped his head once more, gluing its regal violet eyes to Harry's face. Harry himself was too, well. Stuck. He didn't really know what to say. A few moments of silence, and Harry opened his mouth and spoke.

"Why do you call me.. Master?"

"My name is Eclipse. I have been a teacher and Guardian for the Reanef line for a long, long time. You, my Master, are the Demon Lord Raenef the 7th." The cat spoke, and Harry couldn't look away from those eyes. Eclipse's eyes were drawing him in, calming him and making him listen.

Until he mentioned 'demon'.

".. I'm a demon?" He was human, human! _"I don't want to be a demon!"_ Harry spoke as his eyes grew wet and he started to move, sitting up. Or he tried to sit up, a sudden weight pressed him down, like the very air around him grew hands and were pressing him down. Harry's face scrunched as he started to cry.

Demons didn't get to go to heaven. His Aunt had called him a Demon and a heathen when he had said he hadn't wanted to go to Church on Sunday with them. She had taken him aside and sent Dudley into the kitchen and told him that the Lord needed penance for human sins. And if you didn't go every Sunday, you were nothing more then a demon. Harry hadn't been convinced till she said that he'd never see his parents after he died, if he went to hell instead of heaven.

Harry had been going with them ever since. Or at least when he was allowed to go. Sometimes his Aunt just left him at the babysitter's place. But that rarely happened.

Harry flailed, and he cried, but eventually he calmed down, unable to move from his spot. The neighborhood was empty. The cars out of the driveways, the windows shut. Today was a cleaning day, if the faint sound of vacuum cleaners from a few houses were any clue. Besides, people would ignore him if they thought he was having a fit on the sidewalk.

"Yes, you are a demon, my master." Eclipse spoke again, and Harry's eyes threatened to spill over in tears once again. "But that doesn't mean you have to be evil. Raenef the V, you would have liked to meet him. He was very kind." Those words seemed to have calmed the boy, so Eclipse continued on.

"I am to train you as I have trained the Raenef line before you." Eclipse went on, easing the pressure spell off of Harry as he spoke. The boy nodded slightly, with a small sniffle. "I.. I'll go to heaven, I want to see my parents. E.. even though.." Eclipse blinked, looking down at the boy.

"I see no reason why not." Harry gave the cat a small smile, before he shifted. "May I.. sit up?" Harry asked and Eclipse nodded and gracefully leaping off of his perch and stepping onto the sidewalk.

Harry sat up, rubbing the back of his head but remained sitting.

"Why are you a kitty?"

Eclipse's whiskers seemed to twitch as he raised his head to look up at Harry. He looked irritated, or at least Harry got the feeling that he was. "I.. had thoughts of retirement during the time of the Demon Lord Raenef the VI, but that man and the demon seer named Meruhesae joined forces to trigger a curse. When my last Lord died, this fell upon me. The seer said I would return to normal, after training the 7th Raenef Lord. You, my master."

Harry turned his eyes to the road. This had to be a dream. An amazingly long dream that he could possibly wake up from any second from now or maybe it was a dream that wouldn't end until he died? But he would still wake up eventually. Harry looked back to him as he said "what happens if you don't teach me..?"

"I'll be like this, forever."

Harry flinched. This may be a dream, but that, that was truly scary. "How long is that?"

"A very long time, without any doubt."

"I want to learn.."

"Very well."

* * *

**A/N - I have to be very, very honest right now. Because there is no real reason for why this took so long. I just.. didn't feel like writing. The lack of wanting to right dampened it. I am very, very sorry for the long wait. And I know this chapter is short. But the next one is much longer. You may have noticed, the final meeting and get together is different from the first. But I like this one better. More detail will come later, but till then, I'll upload the next chapter. I hope the fact that there is another chapter dampens any potential flames for shortness.**

**Read and Review..**


	4. Grace of the Spirits

**Chapter 3: Grace of the Spirits**

_Happy the man, and happy he alone,  
He, who can call today his own:  
He who, secure within, can say,  
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today. _

_-John Dryden_

Harry slowly opened his eyes and yawned. Before he squeezed them shut. Today was Dudley's 8th birthday. Harry wouldn't be let out till breakfast was done cooking. It seemed that the scarcer Harry became, the more tolerable his Uncle deemed him. He did help his Aunt clean and take care of the garden. But that was about it. He himself was seven years old, just a few weeks from eight. Though he was better then Dudley in most aspects, the other members of the family loved the overweight boy more then himself.

Maybe, at one point in his life Harry would have felt bitter over that. But no, he wasn't bitter. Because he himself, he himself had all he needed. All in the cat that was lying curled up at his stomach. Harry shifted, raising the covers slightly to look at the sleeping cat. The midnight colored fur standing out against his pastel green sheets and light blue, too large and worn pajamas. Harry allowed himself to smile, even in the dark..

Harry let the covers fall and relaxed back into his pillow. His room under the stairs was growing smaller, and smaller. At one point, he thought he had heard that his Aunt might move him to the second bedroom that was upstairs. Having a window, and much more room to practice his training, he would like that.

It had been about three years since Eclipse had come to him, and Harry was embarrassed to think back to that time. Fainting so easily in front of his mentor, his Guardian. Over the time that had followed since the age of five, Harry had learned from Eclipse, teaching him magic.

Magic.

_Magic_ of all things he could be taught it was that. Harry had gone into denial at first, until the talking cat at his side had asked for proof that magic did not exist. There was no proof of that. But there was no proof that it existed, either. Till Eclipse did a spell, that is.

Harry let a sleepy smile stretch over his face as he let his thoughts wander. Eclipse was a wonderful teacher. Even if he wasn't a very good student, he still loved learning and re-learning. Just spending every moment of his day with Eclipse, it was fun. Once breakfast was done, he'd be able to go eat, he could wish his cousin a happy birthday, as was protocol. Then his Aunt would let him leave the house and he and Eclipse could go to the park with his packed lunch while the rest of his family pampered Dudley some more.

It was Friday, which meant that a lot of children would be at the park with his families. Or in the park area but Harry preferred the woodsy area then any other place there. The last time he had gone there, he had met a boy that was about his age. Chris. They had spoken for only a few minutes, before the other was called away.

Maybe he'd even gain another friend if he could go today, and that Chris boy was there.

* * *

"What do you think we got for lunch, Eclipse?" Questioned Harry as he shifted his little, neon yellow backpack. He had been given this after Dudley had gotten a new one, with Spider-man on it. Though Harry didn't mind, he liked neon colors and there was the fact that the bag that he now had with him was practically brand new. This was his first bag, and also his school bag for when he went. It was the weekend and summer, though.

"A sandwich, a water bottle and some little packages of snacks. Those gummy ones that you liked so much." Commented Eclipse after sniffing the air. That was what they had for Lunch.

They had already passed the miniature little park. They were in the small, woodsy area that was near to the park. The designers of the suburban area they lived in had decided that a park with a good amount of land to it would be a wonderful idea. So they had saved enough of the natural land to leave something on a miniature forest for one to walk through. It was mainly for the old couples to walk through in the morning to enjoy the quiet and the crisp air. Eclipse could also talk freely here, and it was here that Harry's teachings were at considering that during the day it was practically empty. The cupboard was too small of a place to learn and was a compromised area considering that his family could hear them. So they had moved it out after a few trial and errors in the cupboard.

A few of those errors happened to involve his Aunt seeing him waving around a plastic straw and mumbling nonsense words (to her, in any case). She had then, to mildly put it, screamed and tore the straw away from his hands and slammed his cupboard door and left him in there for a few hours before saying he could be let out again.

_"Mm.."_ Harry closed his eyes for a moment. He could already taste the gummies. Although his Aunt had said he was going to pack his own lunches soon, Harry didn't mind too much for he was developing and rather unique taste for fruits, vegetables and the like. The other members of his family through his mother's side liked the more meaty side of the food chain.

After another moment of walking, Harry turned off the path. Stepping on a string of large carefully placed rocks. He hopped along those till he couldn't see the walking path. From there, he just walked normally till he reached his little clearing. It was a decently sized area of grass. There used to be loads of rocks, but Harry had moved them to the sides of the clearing some time ago, when they had first found this place. The trees weren't that big. Neither were they thick. But it was still a nice place, with his clearing carefully shaded.

"What are we learning today?" Asked Harry, setting the bag down on the ground before taking a seat next to it.

"You are learning Spirit Magic on this day, Harry." Eclipse said, sitting down in front of the other. Eclipse had his tail waving languidly behind himself as he watched his charge while he took a seat on the ground. Harry had gotten him to stop with the master nonsense when he was six. And when he turned seven, Eclipse agreed to call Harry by his name instead of by 'my lord' which he had taken up after the word 'master' had been rid of. Raenef was seldom used, despite that being his supposed name. Well, Eclipse had promised that upon his reentry in to the demon side of the world Harry would have to get used to the Raenef name.

"If you are to reign in terror-"

"But I don't want to reign in terror.." Harry said, whining as he brought a thumb up to his mouth and looking at Eclipse with patented, doleful eyes.

_**"You will reign in terror whether you like it or not!"**_ Eclipse shouted, fur poofing out and away from his body. Almost like he was a giant cheeto. Harry shrank back with a whimper, keeping the doleful look on his face. Eclipse sighed after a moment, before he said, "Raenef the 6th died more then two thousand years ago. Ever since then this region has been without its Demon Lord. Rouge demons live around these parts. For you to earn you title you must reign in your land. To do so means that you might meet force and resistance by others who wouldn't have you around. You need to learn as much as you can and become great in these aspects."

The look slid off of Harry's face as he nodded, looking rather determined. "Alright, what are we going to do for this Spirit magic, then?"

Eclipse nodded his approval, before leaning back. Going into lecture mode. It was time to get cracking, as the saying went. While speaking, Eclipse closed his eyes, "you are learning one type of magic out of many. Spirit magic. As the title of it suggests, this magic involves the spirits of the world and the spirit world itself as a separate entity. Spirits exist in numerous incarnations: fire spirits, wind spirits, terra spirits. The list goes on and I shall not name them all, there are spirits for each element." Eclipse paused for breath, opening his eyes to see that Harry was writing away in a black notebook with a pen. Well, at least he had the mind to make notes unlike Raenef the fifth had done. Though both of them were such sweet children..

"There are also spirits associated with nature, anger, power, the mind. Spirits exist in many cases because we make them exist. Once summoned a spirit's contract is agreed upon and sealed. It is indissoluble unless the contract is canceled or the spirit dies."

"What if I _die_?" Asked Harry with a blink. Eclipse paused, looking maybe a bit startled. Rarely did his students question him as he lectured, this was a pleasant surprise. "Well, a long time ago the contract would have been dissolved at that point as well. But the spirits have changed, and now they carry out their end of the contract even though someone such as you may die. It's a matter of honor to them."

Harry nodded, eyes wide as he grinned. "That's amazing! They're amazing.." If Eclipse could smile, he'd be doing so now. Or that's what Harry would like to assume.

"Yes, the Spirits are very, very amazing. Now, it's time to summon one ourselves. Put that book away." Harry hurried to shove the notebook back into his pack, along with his pen. He moved his bag to the edge of the clearing and out of the way before returning to his seat.

"Gather your Mezraez." Eclipse said, and Harry nodded. Placing his hands on his knees as he closed his eyes, back straight as he concentrated on what he was doing. Gathering his Mezraez garnered Harry's full attention, but Eclipse said that as he grew older his control would be to a near perfect status where he could gather this energy without a thought. Then there wouldn't be much of a need for this meditation and concentration. Harry couldn't wait for that day, it'd be amazing and Harry found that having to wait for so long could be annoying.

After some time of waiting, Harry opened his eyes and said "I have about 15.." Eclipse nodded his approval, and Harry gave the other a brilliant smile and a small cheer. Eclipse shook his head and continued on, "to summon spirits you must be calm of mind and body. You will summon a Terra Spirit. Try not to summon one too powerful." Eclipse warned at the end, and Harry nodded.

They had discussed this branch of magic not too long ago. If he summoned something he couldn't contain, there was a chance that the spirit would turn on him, the summoner. But Harry wasn't going to let that happen, a minor Earth spirit shouldn't be too bad at all.

Harry started to speak, to chant out the words Eclipse had spoken before. But he modified it slightly for his own usage._ "Spirits of the Spirit World. I have called to summon a Terra Spirit to do my bidding and to test my worth. Send upon me one to do my will."_

As Harry mumbled, eyes lidded and staring at nothing, his hands faintly began to glow. He raised them up in front of himself, palms facing the sky. Above his hands a green, glowing ball appeared, a faint green tinged mist swirling around the ball. Before the two substances twisted together and formed a small body. The body was genderless and naked, the skin was green and the long hair was a wet earth brown. The spirit's eyes were white, roots dangled from its feet as it hovered in the air, before floating down and standing on Harry's small hand. The spirit was only slightly bigger then Harry's hand.

"Your contract?" Spoke the creature in a deep, throaty voice that might have come out of the very earth itself. There was power laced within that deep voice, power and authority and submission all wrapped together to form this being.

"Yes, I implore your assistance. Stay with me for the day." Spoke Harry, eyes focused upon the spirit that rested in his hands, which no longer glowed.

"As you command."

Harry smiled down at the spirit, before turning his head and looking to Eclipse. Eclipse looked from the spirit to Harry, and Harry grinned at his teacher.

"Impressive."

* * *

The Ministry of Magic, Accidental Magic department got the Accident Magic paper. This department had been created over one hundred years ago when a muggle ten year old had collapsed a building in anger and had killed two people. The child had been properly scarred for life. This team, if an alarm when off, were to go to the location stated and fix the situation. While this department was understaffed, it at least had decent pay.

The man that was currently supervising and the only man in charge of the department at the moment was sitting in his chair at his desk. The room was round, and had ten separate desks lining the walls. Above each desk was a window. At the current hour, many people were currently taking early lunch breaks. But this man, he was the one left to man the stations. The most that were usually around at one point was five. The whole ten member staff was never there. Mainly because the staff needed to have shifts which usually lasted 8 to 10 hours with breaks. Having them all in at once would be considered suicide.

The remaining man looked to be in his 50s, but considering the ages of their world, and that Wizards aged slower. He could even be in his 80s. The man had soft, light brown hair that was cut short with light blue eyes. His skin was tan, despite his indoors job. He was decked out in official blue robes with a nametag, 'Telith, Greg.' Under the name was his occupation and rank.

Greg held the paper up before his eyes. The parchment had just appeared on his desk, as most reports appeared on a desk. Though they only appeared at a desk when someone was behind it, due to some charm that was on the room. Or something like that, Greg's talent was in Transfiguration and Potions, not charms. He waited, and watched as an invisible quill started to paint the words on to the paper.

It would take some time, but Greg did not look away, because the subject's name that had appeared was 'Harry Potter' of all people. This was the savior, his savior. It was because of this boy, this child that his wife and four children were safe and sound. The man smiled as he waited, watching to see what the boy had done this time. This child was a rather popular, reoccurring name in his department. The ministry was notified of it, but one would have to expect that. After all, the boy had defeated the Dark Lord so common use of magic from him was not unexpected. His eyes widened as he read about what the child had done.

He stiffened faintly, before he mumbled to himself, "since there is no doubt that the boy is going to Hogwarts, I shall send this to Headmaster Dumbledore." Greg paused, and looked around. Oh, that was right. There was no one around to agree with him. But he supposed that he was correct.

Greg folded the paper in half and sealed it with a flick of his wand. The small square of wax on his desk flatted over the edge of the letter and sealed it shut. The ministry seal already forming on the swiftly cooling wax, as the spell was meant to do and had always done.

Greg wrote the Headmaster's name upon the outside of the parchment, before moving and dropping it off into the slot to the far side of his desk. There was a displacement charm there, sending the letter to the mailing room. There, the ministry workers would tie the letter to an owl, and the owl would go to Hogwarts.

Greg nodded to himself, before checking the clock. In another hour, his partners would be back, and he could take his break. So he leaned back with a sigh. Before looking to his desk where three more papers had appeared on it. He sat up, reaching out and drawing them to himself. The top one stated the name 'Hermione Granger', apparently the girl had levitated a book in a library. The child was most likely too short. So he tossed the paper to his side. To be filed into the records at a later time. The next sheet had the name of Draco Malfoy upon it. Greg didn't bother with that paper, setting it off to the side.

The last paper was blank. Greg blinked, raising his eyebrows. Well, that was strange. He'd have a charms specialist come in the next day to check the spells. He crumpled up the blank paper and tossed it into a wastebasket.

One more hour to go before he was done for the day which was Greg's only motivation at the moment.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore sat at the head of the table. While the school was indeed out for the summer months, the tables of the student houses were left where they were. Remaining in their respective positions. He and the other Order of the Phoenix members were in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, in a reminiscing get together that hadn't occurred since five years ago. The Order members only took up one table since there was so few of them there at the current moment. Many of the former members had gotten on with their lives, to wrapped up in it to really set aside the time to gather for a meal or a get together. But that was the point of The Order, stop Voldemort and have everything calm down so they could go on with their lives again.

Minerva McGonagall sat next to Dumbledore, looking rather studious as she had a book out in front of herself. Some latest discovery of Transfiguration had been made and documented; she was getting the best of it and seeing how to incorporate it in with her advanced students. McGonagall was a tall, thin woman who looked to be maybe in her 40s. It was hard to tell because her face was always so stern. But she had to be older then 30, because she had been teaching when the infamous Marauders had been around.

The chair to Dumbledore's left was empty of the presence of anyone. Severus Snape had been invited, and had promptly refused on the idea and had shoved the door in the house elf's face. But Dumbledore had left the seat open for the Hogwarts Potions Professor.

Remus Lupin had taken a seat next to McGonagall; he had only spoken with his old teacher, and a little bit with the others. He had yet to really speak with Dumbledore. He was still resentful with Dumbledore, as he had been for a few years. The man knew and understood the reasoning, but that didn't mean that he couldn't feel a bit.. of resentment.

Rubeus Hagrid sat at the end of the table where he fit best. Many of their group feared that there might be an accident if he tried to fit himself into a smaller space then where he already was. Hagrid seemed to be right at him where he was, in his earth brown, large coat. With a head full of black shaggy hair and matching beard, Hagrid was a rather distinctive man. But it was mostly his height that made him so memorable. His height and size, that is.

Arthur and Molly Weasley sat side by side next to the empty chair next to Dumbledore. Both of them partially glad that Snape wasn't there, it was rather obvious that the sulky man would have dampened the rather happy mood that was around them and their lunch.

Filius Flitwick sat next to Arthur and Flora Sprout sat next to Flitwick. Andromeda Tonks sat next to Remus. Mad Eye Moody sat next to her. He was still ranting Death Eaters. Or the current lack of them, which was the problem in his eyes. His forced retirement hadn't done any good with the man, as many in the Ministry had hoped that it would calm the man down. Well, is had just made the man more antsy, twitchy and loud.

It seems that the Death Eaters that had remained after the fall of Voldemort had either been unable to be accused—never found and supposedly dead or already imprisoned. The last Death Eater that had been captured was almost over a year ago. Since Tonks and Moody once shared a similar job, it was rather practical that they sit side by side. Discussing something between themselves, since Moody had never really let the job go anyway Tonks still involved the other with her work.

Albus smiled at them all as everyone ate. All of them were war veterans to a war that wouldn't remember them. As was the role of the Order of the Phoenix, for all those that joined it was their duty to keep Magical Britain safe even if there was no glory in it. Everyone here had suffered from that war, some more so then others. Remus was still having withdrawals from the betrayal. Moody was missing a few more chunks then normal. Tonks did have moments of unusual silence, although they hardly lasted long at all. But this was the course of history.

They were a secret society bent to protect the Wizarding World.

Secret meant, 'not publicly known'.

Thus, all glory and recognition had gone to the Ministry.

A screech filled the air as an owl dived inside. The rather plain looking, brown owl swooped down in front of the calm Headmaster of Hogwarts. The owl swept its wings in their air once, hovering over the table before it's feet landed on the table with a soft thud. It let out a soft, cooing noise before the owl held its leg out to the Headmaster and waited.

Dumbledore reached out with his wise, ageing fingers and removed the burden from the Ministry's owl. Once the weight was removed, the owl jumped up and fled the Great hall. Obviously, there was to be no reply. Or no reply was to be expected.

Albus turned the letter in his head. Before deft fingers broke the seal and opened the parchment that was before him. Albus did a read through, before pulling his wand from his own sleeve, twirling it with a flourish. With a simple wave and muttered incantation a small pile of papers appeared.

"What's the letter about?" Questioned McGonagall. The owl had garnered the attention of the few people there. Even the teacher at Albus' side had looked away from her book to the Headmaster. When Albus kept his silence, she closed her book and waited. Even Remus was looking toward them, resentment seemingly gone.

"It seems that Mister Potter has found some way to do magic." Said Albus finally as he finished shifting the papers around. Each paper was dated, with 20 papers for each spell done over the span of the week. Albus held this proof to be self-evident. He slowly passed the papers about the table, letting everyone have a good look at the evidence before it collected in front of himself again.

Remus had frowned when he had quickly gone through the papers. He looked to McGonagall, before he did come to an understanding that she wouldn't know a thing about it. The werewolf squashed the feeling of being ashamed and finally looked to the Headmaster. "Headmaster.." Spoke Remus quietly, the first to speak. "Why was there so much healing magic..?"

Albus shook his head, mouth thinning into a straight line. Strangely McGonagall had that odd habit as well. "I do not know, Mr. Lupin. But surely it's just Accidental magic over scrapped knees." The old man said as he placed the original parchment down onto the stack, and watched it disappear with a pop.

McGonagall cleared her throat and said "I will go check on the boy tomorrow." She glanced out of the side of her eyes to Dumbledore, who was clearly thinking up a way of protest. What if she were caught? Harry couldn't know about magic before coming to Hogwarts, before they could explain it in the right context.

"I'll go with you!" Said Remus, jumping into the chance with sharp determination. McGonagall looked to her former student and nodded. "Agreed." Nothing else would be said after the short argument that had followed. In the end, McGonagall and Remus had their way.

Tomorrow, they would watch over Harry.

* * *

Harry panted tiredly on the ground, eyes shut. He groaned and flailed his arms to ward away his teacher. Harry was already mumbling the healing enchantment. He had tripped and landed in a rather thorny bush, again. "Your glasses might need to be checked.." Spoke Eclipse. "Your superior eyesight won't appear till puberty."

Harry groaned and looked over to Eclipse, "and when is that?" The boy whined.

"It depends on the Demon. Raenef the 6th reached his at the age of one hundred and two."

_"Waahh.."_ That was upsetting.

* * *

**A/N : Well, this is it for now. Since I got some inspiration back, there might be another update soon. And before you ask, I'd rather finish up this remake. So I can adjust any changes to the sequal before continueing on. I'm sorry to leave you at such a cliffhanger, but it has to happen. Please bear with it.**

**Any comments, suggestions and pretty much any kind of review would be much loved.**


	5. The Trouble With Friends

**Chapter 4: The Trouble With Friends**

_Behind every beautiful thing there is some kind of pain. __-Bob Dylan_

Even if it was summer, even if Harry was supposed to go in to primary school once the season ends, even if he was supposed to be able to walk to a store all by his lonesome didn't mean that he didn't have to like it. Harry huffed and shoved his hands further in to the pockets of his worn, blue knee length shorts, which were made out of the same material as jeans. The only reason the shorts weren't falling was because of the small, thick belt he had threaded through the loops that were almost too big. He was wearing a dark red, short-sleeved shirt that hung over his belt and was long enough to go a little ways past his hips. He had on his baggy white socks that were still clean with his clunky sneakers. His Aunt said they would go out and get him new sneakers over the weekend when she went out to buy arch supports for her son.

Harry pulled a face as he shoved his sliding, thick-framed glasses up his face. His Aunt has given him more then enough to buy the eggs she wanted from the store. There was a store that was open all hours of the day six days a week. Luckily it was still one of those days that the place was open. Harry didn't bother to remember the day as he hurried along. His Aunt had been quiet with waking him up in the morning since he had developed a fever over night. But it was gone, and Aunt Petunia blamed it on the heat he had been playing in the day before. Or, the heat she thought he had been playing in.

She had even suggested Harry getting himself a cold snack for later in the day when she said he could keep the change (she had done this before, but it was only when his Uncle wasn't around). Harry smiled faintly at that, before rolling his shoulders and anxiously glanced around himself. He hadn't gone to any place alone in a long, long while so it felt awkward doing so now. Without Eclipse, Harry couldn't help but feel a terrible loneliness. He could have woken the other up, but Eclipse looked like he needed the rest.

So Harry had gone off alone.

The boy frowned as he glanced around at the houses. They really did look the same. But it hardly mattered, since he was only a block away from a small convenience store that was in the area. It only had the essentials when people found out they ran out of something they really needed. The store focused on foods, household cleaners, and items of those natures.

Aunt Petunia tended to send Harry over whenever they ran out of certain food items. He was normally sent out to buy milk, eggs or fruits. Normally she did give him a few bits of change to buy candy with. Harry usually ended up buying some sweet fruits with it, though.

Upon reaching the store, it didn't take long to find the eggs and grab them, pay for them and start to head home with them. He kept the change that his Aunt said he could. He wasn't going to buy what he wanted now in the early morning. Petunia said he was going to join them for breakfast today instead of sending him out to go buy some with some money she would normally hand over. After breakfast Harry and Eclipse would go out and get a lunch and go off to relax and snack on said lunch. Eclipse had said today they didn't have to learn anything since Harry had been doing so well lately.

Harry was glad for that, he wanted to be lazy today.

* * *

Harry grinned to himself as he moved along the path in the small woodsy area of Surrey's park. Eclipse walking at his side and by his feet as they went along. Harry had indulged himself a little bit. His Aunt had given him more pocket change then normal so he had grabbed an ice pop along with some fruit for snacks to eat. The small paper bag of the store was tucked in to one of his arms as they moved along to their secret place. The ice pop was currently being consumed, Harry enjoyed every moment of it.

"Eclipse?" After a moment of silent walking, Harry called out to the other as they spotted the hopping stones that would lead to their secret clearing. Eclipse glanced up to him in question, waiting for the other to continue in silence. "That… curse that you mentioned. What exactly does it do? What did it do to you to make you like this?"

Eclipse's tail gave an irritated wave as he bounded ahead of Harry toward the clearing, speaking as he went. "Well, as you know this is how I am to stay until you are learned, Harry." Harry nodded at this point and waited for the other to continue.

"Well, this isn't necessarily my body as you might imagine.." Eclipse started and then trailed off when they stepped in to the clearing. Harry almost tripped over the other because Eclipse had frozen in place. But Harry understood why the other had frozen in place.

It was that boy again. Chris.

He was Harry's age, there was no doubt about it. The other's soft looking face wouldn't let anyone think otherwise. The other had short, messy dark hair that looked more on the spiky edge then the bird's nest that Harry owned. The other's light brown eyes were lidded, staring up and in to the sky that could be seen through the spaces in-between the tree branches. The boy was wearing the green poncho that Harry had seen before, still lacking the arms it was supposed to cover along with the hood like a proper poncho. It was also made out of cloth, so Harry supposed that it was there merely for fashion and design. The other boy was wearing tan colored shorts with a long-sleeved, thin white shirt that had grass and dirt stains on the elbows and at various parts of their arms.

"Chris?" Harry called with a blink as he fully entered the small clearing. Noisily passing by a bush as he did so. The boy lying on the ground sat up with a start, a surprised look over his features as his head whipped around to stare at Harry, his mouth dropping open.

Harry remembered the first time they met, it wasn't for long because someone had been calling out the other boy's name and looking for him. Harry had introduced himself when the other, quiet boy had stared at him for a few moments. He had gotten the other's name from the man calling after him. Chris had asked what he was doing around the area before he ran off when the man calling the other's name had gotten too close. But since then Harry hadn't seen anything of the other.

Chris quickly turned away from the other, raising a hand and wiping at his eyes as he scrambled to stand up. Harry merely frowned and tilted his head to the side as he looked to the other with a puzzled expression on his face. "What's the matter?" Harry's question echoed through the small clearing as he recognized that Eclipse had disappeared somewhere. The other was most likely off in the bushes around their clearing. Eclipse didn't like being seen by humans—Harry had come to find that out in a rather funny manner.

One that involved Miss Figg from down the street and cat food. Eclipse hated cat food.

_"Nothing."_ The other had a petulant tone as he answered, back still to Harry as he continued wiping at his face. After a moment of silence he turned and grinned at Harry. Harry recognized that it was a bit forced, recognized the red rings in the other's eyes meant that the boy had been crying before. It was the type of smile one would give to a stranger to keep them from something that they didn't need to know.

Harry shifted uncomfortably under the other's stare, making his occupied arm crinkle the bag that was in his arm and making the other's eyes go to the bag. Harry paused as an idea came, and he smiled over to the other boy as he said "I bought some fruit earlier. Want some?"

".. Yeah."

As the two boys fell in to comfortable silence, an orange tabby cat pulled away from the clearing, edging back and away. She didn't go too far from the clearing, but she was out of earshot and eyeshot of the boy-who-lived. After all, Remus couldn't exactly get too close to the two boys due to the fact that he didn't posses a form such as her.

McGonagall walked fluidly toward the bench that Remus was perched on. The man was covered in common muggle clothes that had blended easily with the crowds. She didn't have much to say, she had been wary of Potter's cat trying to pick a fight with her so she stayed as far away from them as she could when they left the house. Potter had been talking to his cat, she hadn't heard the words but she had heard the murmur.

She had only been able to get within earshot after the other cat had wandered off. But the boy was just romping around in the woods. It was easy to get hurt in the woods; sometimes it was hard to even see the ground due to the foliage.

Albus might be right after all.

But McGonagall would continue to check up on the boy, now that this had come to light. Those muggles weren't the best people, but they weren't the worst but she was wary of them all the same. Remus would be one to agree with her, she knew that would be true.

She had also seen Remus' face when he had first seen Potter. McGonagall jumped on to the bench next to her former student, glancing up to his distracted face. Looking in the direction that Harry had gone off with his cat with such a look of longing that McGonagall had to look away. All of his friends were gone, and the only thing that was left of happier memories and days was something he wasn't allowed to see so much as touch.

This must be painful, though McGonagall as she swiftly shifted to her original form. It was still early enough and empty enough that no one would see.

Even if it was painful, Remus wouldn't have it any other way. She knew that to be true.

* * *

They never spoke about the reason Chris had been crying. They never spoke about why Chris seemed to space out or a few tears seemed to fall. They never spoke about why the other was so sullen and withdrawn (it wasn't like Harry had known him before, but he supposed that if someone was withdrawn they would look like Chris). But Chris only acted like that the first few moments after they met up. He seemed to cut loose around Harry, and Harry was glad for it.

Eclipse's lessons were put on hold for a while. Mainly because Chris kept meeting them in their clearing and it was the only safe place that was within walking distance of Harry's home. No matter the hour the other boy was always there and Harry didn't have the heart or the reason to ask for the other to clear out. Whenever Chris appeared, though, he always brought something sweet to eat. He brought candy, ice cream and other such things that spoiled children often had. Even though he didn't like these things as much as his fruits, Harry munched along with the other anyway. While Harry himself brought fruits and sandwiches when he happened to buy them from the small community store whenever he had the spare change to do so.

Eclipse joined them (he never spoke, of course) some days, sitting between the two boys as they sat in silence or were idly talking over nothing.

Three weeks had soon gone by, and Harry found he couldn't really remember much of a time before Chris had appeared. And to Harry himself Eclipse had always been around, if Eclipse were to leave him Harry didn't know what he would ever do without the other. Soon that feeling was branching off to Chris.

Harry rolled his shoulders with a smile as he walked down the familiar path to his clearing that he shared with Eclipse and Chris. It was closing in on noon and he carried within his arms two carefully wrapped up sandwiches that he was going to share with Chris. The other boy promised to bring some yogurt and they were going to talk about some movie Chris had seen over the week. It was what they did every Wednesday when they met each other. And since it was already so late in the day Harry was more then sure that the other would be sitting in that clearing, waiting for him.

A grin threatened to split his face, and Harry couldn't find it within himself to stop. He just barely stopped himself from squishing the sandwiches against his chest as he walked to the clearing. Eclipse was glancing up at him in random intervals but Harry didn't mind the glances or the silence that Eclipse was holding out. "Say, Eclipse? What kind of movie do you think Chris is going to talk about?" Harry asked with a glance down at his violet-eyed teacher.

"I do not know, my Lord." Eclipse spoke softly as he moved along with Harry. And Harry nodded, still grinning as he started to chatter. Eclipse though, Eclipse really couldn't stop looking up at Harry. When they had first stumbled upon Chris the first time, Eclipse had just mistaken it for coincidence.

The second time was obviously fate.

And Eclipse couldn't help but be uncomfortable. Fate was messing with their lives once again and Eclipse was disturbed by this obvious reincarnation of the high priest Chris. It was eerie and disturbing to see Chris the way he was—a chattering child. An emotional child, a child full of rage and tears and hate and Eclipse didn't know what to honestly do with the other. Eclipse had last seen the human as the powerful Head Priest of his religion, dying peacefully in bed surrounded by friends and generations of family. And most of all, Raenef the 5th had been at that human's bedside when he passed. The passing of that High Priest had been the end of an age, of coexistence and the end to the supremacy devoted to Rased as other religions soon arose. Humans and demons alike had met at that last place for the man. Although the followers of Rased had all but died out in this era, Eclipse knew those Priests of power still existed. Their religion hidden since the Catholic and Christian religion had become so widespread and powerful—these destructive and warring faiths had almost brought the followers of Rased to extinction.

And to see the old man be reverted back in to the child was disturbing all on it's own.

Eclipse paused and blinked, looking up at Harry when the other stopped walking. It was then that he noticed that they had entered the clearing that they were supposed to meet Chris in. Only, the little human boy was not in the clearing as it had become expected. "That's strange," Harry's soft voice flowed around the clearing as the boy took a cautious step forward, in awe over the fact that his friend wasn't the first to get to their meeting spot in the first time since they had started to meet up.

Chris had always been around before, after all.

After a moment of awkward standing Harry moved and sat down in the middle of the clearing and under a direct beam of sunlight. Harry shifted and set his sandwiches on his lap as he settled down for a short wait. He didn't think that Chris had gone far from this place—the other had most likely wandered away due to boredom but would be back any second. Or maybe to find a water fountain or a restroom, they were near the park, after all. But that still didn't change the strangeness of the situation much at all. In fact, the very fact that Chris wasn't waiting for them here was something that was making Harry become paranoid. Or just off kilter. Chris had been arriving in the clearing first for so long that Harry couldn't even begin to describe just how wrong it was to find out that the other boy wasn't there.

"Eclipse..?" Harry's voice started after a long wait of silence. He looked over to the still standing cat, a concerned frown on his face as he focused on his first ever friend, his protector and teacher. "Will you please find him?" He can't be that far, was the silent add on to the request that Harry was sending the other.

Eclipse nodded his head, but retained his silence as he turned and left the clearing swiftly. Eclipse shook his fur out, and started his mission. It would be Eclipse's first mission in a very long time after finding his current Lord.

Eclipse's first mission from this Lord.

* * *

Harry fiddled with the two sandwiches he had in his lap. Eclipse had been gone for some time now and he was still sitting in the clearing. He was getting hungry now, very hungry since he had been hungry when he had first stepped in to the clearing. He had already been expecting the other to be there and waiting for him to start with. But now that the other was still missing, he was hungry.

But he didn't want to eat his sandwich without his friend.

The sound of someone brushing past a bush gained his attention as Harry whipped his body around for his eyes to land on the shaking form of Chris standing at the clearing's entrance. Harry placed the wrapped sandwiches on the ground and stood up, turning around to fully face the other only to have the other collide in to his body in some mad rush. Chris's arms wrapping around Harry's body, and the green poncho boy clung desperately to his friend as he let out a wail. The grip was painful, thin fingers digging in to his body. Harry winced and squirmed slightly in the others grip, bringing his arms up and awkwardly around the other as he felt the other's body shake and a wetness grow on his shoulder where the other had buried his face.

Eventually, Chris's legs gave out and he fell backwards on to the ground, bringing Harry down to the ground and on top of the legs, much to Harry's discomfort. It took a few minutes but Harry managed to shift himself to the ground next to the other's body. The new angle allowed Harry to reach up and pet the other's hair. There were no words of comfort given, Harry honestly didn't know what to do with the other.

He had never had to comfort someone else while they cried. He didn't really remember being comforted when he had cried. There were faint memories of his Aunt, but they were faint and he hadn't cried since he was a baby. At least, not like this.

So he was going to let the other cry his eyes out and get the other to talk to him later after they ate their sandwiches. So Harry waited, petted the other's hair and sat next to the other. Hoping that his presence and the affections he had learned from Eclipse would be enough to calm the other. Eclipse may only be a cat, but Harry was still a child and affection was always wanted, needed, like the very water all children thrived on. So Harry, in turn, took what he learned (as much as he could from the demon turned cat) and used them on Chris.

During the waiting, Harry saw Eclipse sitting at their clearing entrance. They nodded to each other and Eclipse backed out of the clearing and disappeared from sight. Chris was within the safety of the clearing now, and Eclipse would make sure they weren't bothered.

Eventually the other did stop, though he didn't let go of his friend once the action had finished. Harry merely continued to pet the other's hair. They sat in some silence, before Harry had had enough of his own growling stomach and he reached out as far as he could go for the sandwiches. They were just a little bit too far.

With a little bit of concentration and a small hand motion, Harry floated the two sandwiches to his hands. He shifted and moved, bringing one of them to Chris's face and in to the other's hands. He then unwrapped his and starting to eat. They ate in silence, Chris finally letting go of the other but stayed next to Harry's side. Leaning on Harry's small shoulder, eyes downcast like any child who had once again gotten hold of themselves after crying their soul out.

After they finished, they sat in silence. With his hands and arms free, Chris reached out and clung to the other as if Harry was some type of doll. His eyes large and teary and Harry had trouble telling what emotions were swimming in the other's eyes. Even after several questions and gentle probing Chris refused to speak, there were no words coming from the other but faint whimpers.

Eclipse returned every so often to check on them, but Chris retained his silence. Still kept his hold of Harry as if he let go of the other, then Harry would disappear.

That he would die and fade away.

But eventually the time started to fly. And just looking up at the sky Harry was able to tell that it was nearing the time he needed to start to head back to the Dursleys. Aunt Petunia said if he returned early, she would teach him how she made the pot roast, since Harry had been interested in learning. After all, he didn't plan on living with his relatives forever, and Eclipse wouldn't be able to cook for him till he learned everything the other had to teach him.

Harry stilled the hand that was petting Chris' hair, pulling that hand back he waited for the other to move. Chris moved, but he only moved his head to look up at the other from where he was leaning his face on Harry's shoulder. "Chris, its time for me to go again," Harry spoke, keeping the wince out of his voice as the other strengthened his grip. Chris may not look too strong altogether, but he was still pretty strong all the same.

Those eyes looked dark with fear now.

"No.." Chris' voice was hoarse and cracked and pained and he didn't let go of the other. "Don't leave me." The other said, lowering his eyes to the ground. "D.. _don't leave me_.. not you t.. too.." Harry felt the other's tears start to drip on to his arm so he returned his hand to petting the other's head and they returned to silence. Harry's eyes turned and he searched out the clearing for Eclipse, easily spotting the other over Chris' bowed head.

Harry took a deep breath and spoke, "Eclipse.. I don't know what to do."

"Do not fear." The words didn't come from Eclipse's suddenly stiff form, nor from Chris' suddenly limp body. Nor from the man who suddenly crashed in to the clearing. It came from the form floating just in front of where Harry was sitting. Upon catching sight of the.. thing, Harry's eyes became wide and his mouth dropped open.

Since meeting Eclipse, his views of religion had twisted; some of the history the other had taught Harry quietly at night had been the cause for that. What better time to learn history since the day time was used for the more practical edge of his schooling. But if Harry had gone back to the time before Eclipse, he could see himself believe that this person might be God.

The male figure that had risen in front of Harry was larger then life, and certainly could never be mistaken for human. Pale, flawless skin, opaque eyes surrounded by thick lashes existed on a too-feminine face attached to an obviously male body—this was no human and the rules of human beauty did not apply. The large, diamond shaped headdress the god wore, staying in place because of the wide reversed V-shape in the white-gold metal. The robes were pristine and white with several gold wrapped around the clothes that flowed from the being's body. Adorned on its shoulders were white-gold shoulder guards inlaid with intricate designs with two large fist sized gems on both of them.

This being practically glowed, as it were the clearing was surrounded with fairy lights, making the very day seem dim.

The man who had crashed in through the clearing stumbled to a stop next to Chris, hands showing the first few signs of an increasing age gently pulled Chris away from Harry's body. And were they not in the presence of a god, Harry might have objected to the stranger, had the stranger not had the same voice as the man who had called Chris when Harry had first met his friend. Clutching Chris to his chest, the middle aged man looked up to the floating being with reverence. He bowed his head, "my God, Rased." He spoke, holding Chris protectively to his chest.

Long, endless hair caught Harry's eye, he knew the name Rased, and now that he could recognize the God for who he was, Harry let his eyes take in the image that Rased had taken. And in catching sight of the hair of Rased, Harry finally noticed the lack of color surrounding the God. But then again the God did fade out of sight as one's eyes trailed to his feet which weren't invisible because of the fading. The God was practically see-through in most of his body.

It was a projection of some sort.

Eclipse had moved to Harry's side, and Harry automatically pulled the demon onto his lap and wrapped his arms around the other's small body in an embrace that could have been called protective if they had something to fear from Rased.

And Eclipse listened, and heard the words that had been described to him from so long ago come to life from the very lips of God. "Do not be startled, Hejem, my servant." The God shifted, all seeing eyes glancing to Harry for less then a second, before Harry was dimissed and those eyes focused on the man before him. Hejem, the man wearing Priest robes would have been something Harry would have been amazed to look at, if the God before him hadn't captured his eyes.

"To ease his pain, I have erased his memories." Rased spoke, hands with long, odd and fragile metal guards placed over where the fingernails should have reached out and behind and over the fingers as well. They had intricate designs on them, like the white gold he was wearing. Those deceptively thin hands reached out and almost caressed Chris' hair. "The pain was too much for him." The calm, melodious voice had taken Harry's breath away, he feared to breath as he listened to the voice with a sinking heart. And with his sinking heart his mind started to race. Memories, what had happened to Chris that the child couldn't take?

His _memories_ were being taken away..!

Something was breaking.

"This child.. I have chosen him. The world is changing once more, and my followers must resurface in to the world." Hejem looked started, but he did not speak as he looked up to his God all the same. Whatever Rased wanted done, it would be done. "And when the world changes, this child will lead my people once again." Hejem looked like he wanted to speak, but he remained silent and the Harry was sure only he caught the god's too full lips quirking after those words.

There was only a brief pause, "one day, these memories will swim to the surface. Raise him well, for he is precious to me. And to those around him."

"I have faith that he will become precious to you as well."

And the God faded out of sight, and the world grew dim as the sinking sun became noticeable. Hejem glanced down to the child in his arms, to look at the thin body and the face that now finally looked relaxed in sleep. Always Chris had looked pained to matter what Hejem had tried to do to ease the pain. Hejem's head quickly turned so he was looking to his left, where the other boy had been sitting.

Only to find that place empty.

* * *

Harry dragged his feet as if some great weight was attached to the laces of his sneakers or hanging from his neck, eyes on the ground as he carried Eclipse in his arms. With a grip that could have been boardering on painful if the other didn't watch out. The other's soft fur was providing a comfort on its own, just as the other's warm body was soothing a newly made wound that had appeared. It wasn't a physical wound. No, it was purely mental, a hurt that came without physcially existing. The other's violet eyes were fixed on Harry's face, and Harry was soon drawn in to look at them.

"Eclipse.." Harry spoke after a moment as they exited the park. All the families had gone home now. The sun was going down, it was time for dinner and Harry was in no rush because he knew he was already too late to learn from his Aunt how to make a roast. Harry slowly made his way, stepping softly on his own shadow as the sun was soon behind his back.

"Please don't leave me too." It was an eerie echo, but for Harry it was now a fear that had taken root in to his soul. One of his first friends was gone. He had only ever had two friends in his life and now Eclipse was more then just a friend and Chris had been on the verge of becoming someone who was _irreplaceable_. Without memories, no one was the same person.

The other wouldn't remember him anyway.

But Harry had lost someone all the same. Someone that could have meant something to him.

"Never. I will never leave you as long as we live, Raenef." _I will stay by your side._

On the walk home, Harry let the other sooth the silent tears from his face. And Eclipse knew that this was not the end. This was only the beginning because this was too much of a coincidence to be passed off as an accident. The world was changing, for good or for bad Eclipse didn't know, and he didn't care.

An attachment grew then, and Eclipse was once again reminded of Raenef the 5th. The Demon Lord who had been too human, too kind and had suffered so much from the deaths of humans before his own passing.

All beings grew old and died. Only, humans, as always were weaker then demons, had a shorter life then demons.

* * *

**A/N: ...shocking, isn't it? Yeah, its a chapter. I had been meaning to write this for so long its just that it never fully came. Ever since the 7th book I guess Harry Potter might have died a little bit for me. It was a good book, but I still have disagrements with it. I still think this chapter is too short, and it left a lot unexplained but if you read the book, well, you'll understand Chris at least. There was some changes, too.. I hope to hurry up and finish the remake now, so I can move on to the sequal and finish that. I have loads of story ideas I've written down and want to turn in to stories here. But, I just can't do it unless this is done.. Forgive me on how long this too. I also adjusted the other chapters a bit, I need to re-put them up now.. I also tried to make this longer, it wasn't as long as I hoped but I'm working on making my chapters worthwhile.**

**Hoped you lot enjoyed this. **


	6. Return To Me

**Chapter 5: Return To Me!**

**Fear cannot be without hope nor hope without fear.**  
_Baruch Spinoza, Ethics, Pt. III, definition 13: explanation (1677)_

They had nicked his coat.

It was a glum and solemn thought that Harry had as he carefully picked himself off of the ground. The Dursleys weren't able to pick either himself or Dudley up from the school (something about a work lunch social..) so they had been told to walk home together with a few of the neighborhood children. But Dudley had been able to get a ride home from a friend who didn't want Harry to join them. And Dudley had gotten soaked from splashing in puddles before the car had arrived.

So they had pushed Harry to the ground and stolen his coat for Dudley to sit on. At least they didn't toss his backpack in to a puddle.

Harry sniffled as he pushed himself up and on to skidded knees and looked around the sidewalk he was at. His knees weren't in the condition that would require that he would cry, but they did burn something fierce. The neighborhood kids were already gone, too. For the first month of school, Harry had had a splendid time. But Dudley hadn't been doing so well, his Aunt had even commented that Dudley should be nicer to the other boys and girls.

Instead, Dudley had just given him a grin that was nasty in the way that bullies got.

He didn't know how the class could turn on him, his whole class. All of the friends he made!

..maybe Chris had only been a sign that friendship for him was impossible. No one would ever want to be his friend! Harry rubbed at his eyes as he stood up. He paused for a moment before tenderly picking up his bag with matching skidded hands. Harry stopped bothering to wipe the small, nearly nonexistent tears from his eyes as he let his head tilt forward so he could stare at his shoes as he started on his journey home.

Alone.

Eclipse had tried to join him a few times at school, but after being chased off by a teacher with a broom it had been decided that Eclipse would be better off staying at home. To wait the day out till Harry could return. Harry took comfort from the warm feeling that provided as he wrapped his arms around himself. It was drizzling, but at least his bag was waterproof, like his coat had been. Harry knew that by the time he was able to arrive home, he'd be soaked.

Harry carefully crossed the street in the crosswalk, jumping slightly when a car at his side drew to a stop. Harry quickly scurried on and reached the other side safely without any accidents. He shuddered; he never wanted to experience that again. Since he was no longer on the street, Harry let his head tilt forward as he trudged along. Watching his own feet was more heartening then looking around and seeing his lack of anyone recognizable.

And they had been such good friends. Friends who had believed in magic and such pretty stories that his Aunt would never tell him. And then Dudley had shoved him to the ground to get Harry's crayons. His cousin had done it at the front of the class and even though the teacher had gotten angry, he had only did it again after she looked away. And Dudley had never stopped. Harry's classmates had taken that as the 'o-kay' to go ahead and mimic Dudley.

Harry absently ran his skidded palms over the wet drizzle drops that were sitting on his arm and on his sleeves. His shirt thankfully had sleeves that almost reached his wrists. They ended at the mid-forearm mark. And Harry had thought himself safe with his jacket on. He was regretting not putting on long sleeves now, because then he could have pulled the sleeves down over his chilled hands. And the rain was making his shirt heavy and the straps of his pack dig in. His jeans were also pretty damp, and that made them uncomfortable.

And he wanted to take his shoes off.

The seven and nearly a half-year-old whined to himself as he continued to walk. Picking up his speed as he kept his head down. He wanted to go faster, faster and faster so that he was just a little bit more closer to seeing Eclipse again. He wanted to hold the other in his arms, the other's soft fur always made him feel better after having a bad day. Even if Eclipse didn't like being held when they weren't walking somewhere, it made Harry feel better. It also made it easier to go to sleep at night when Eclipse slept next to him or on his legs. His Aunt had moved him from the cupboard for his birthday in to the smallest bedroom, the last open one, in the house that used to be Dudley's second bedroom. But she had cleared it up of Dudley's old things and either donated them to some good will charity or packed them up to put it in the attic.

But the larger space made Harry feel insecure at night. The window didn't help much, it was too bright for even the streetlights managed to somehow invade the room. He had only been able to achieve good sleep when Eclipse was with him. And that longing for comfort was being stretched thin as it was. Harry had noted that recently he had been very needy, that he wanted to hold Eclipse more, that he wanted to listen to the other lecture just to hear the other's voice. It was assurance that the other wasn't going to just disappear on him, as Harry feared. Harry shuddered to himself, though not from the cold as he recalled the events from several months ago.

He hadn't seen Chris since then. Well, he doubted he'd see the boy again but he hadn't seen what was left of the other since that day. Chris no longer went to the park, but then again he wasn't really the Chris he knew anymore. And Harry didn't know where the other lived at the moment. Nor did he really want to know where the other was living. That pale mockery of someone who had once held some importance, Harry didn't need something like that constantly reminding him that he had lost a friend. That he had lost something because he hadn't been able to help his second friend when the other had needed him. No, he didn't need his failure rubbed in to his face.

A vengeful and bitter part of him blamed Chris for his inability to gain any more friends, that boy had _cursed_ him!

Harry stopped walking as he reached up and rubbed his burning eyes with his stinging hands. His knees had stopped hurting though. Harry glanced down before quickly turning away from them. They didn't look half bad, but they were dirty and bloody and dear Lord he just wanted to go home. Teleport! He desperately wanted to do that. But he didn't have a watch and didn't know how long Dudley would take in reaching their house so he couldn't do that or his family would find out. And his Aunt, who didn't seem to appreciate stories and magic and everything else like it couldn't be seen as someone who would enjoy her nephew appearing out of nowhere before her own son who would most likely make up some story blaming Harry on why he was home before him.

He wasn't that good at the skill anyway. He had tried to get to his clearing from his room and ended up landing on someone's roof and falling off it. Thank goodness it was a single floored house, and that there was a nice cushy bush underneath the ledge that didn't have a single thorn. The twigs had been highly uncomfortable and Harry had gained more then his fair share of scratches from it.

Harry had continued on with his walking, letting his mind drift as he kept his increased pace. He had walked this area plenty of times. He had explored the area with Eclipse so that the other could be entirely familiar with it should Harry happen, by some odd chance, to actually get lost.

A car horn shrieking caused Harry to gasp and throw himself backwards and off of the street he had happened to have walked out and on to. With wide eyes, Harry stared around himself.

… Where were the houses?

There were throngs of people moving around the area, and surrounding them were taller buildings, stores.

How the.. _when_?

Harry scrambled up and looked over his shoulder. He looked forward again and spun around in a circle before turning and sprinting back to the way he had come. He wasn't that far, he must have just made a wrong turn somewhere among the houses! So Harry backtracked to a stop sign and took another way.

How long had he been walking?

.. it had stopped raining.

_How long?_

Harry had to back track again and take another way when that street yielded unfamiliar places after a few blocks that led to shops.

But on this new road he arrived among houses. But these weren't the houses that he lived in. They were huge, expensive houses with huge white stone fences around the property and huge gates at the front. Harry shuffled nervously on the street corner and looked up to the sky. Would it be safe to try a teleport? Harry didn't know, but he knew he wasn't in his calmest mindset, if it was calm at all. Even if there was this detachment about him now that he knew how thoroughly he had lost of him.

Harry still felt like crying his eyes out and wailing.

In fact, he could feel the hot strings of tears on his cold face. His stiff hands reached up and clumsily wiped at the tracks as he looked around himself. He turned around and headed back the way he had come after an expensive looking black car that had coasted by.

Teleport, no matter how terrible he was at the skill was looking to be an increasingly appealing action at the moment after he lost the street that allowed him to backtrack. Harry wrapped his arms around himself and stood at a street corner and huddled against a wall. He glanced up to the sky, which was still decently full of light to the road he was on which was despicably empty of anyone. Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let that out and took a few more before slowly opening his eyes and moving away from the wall to some rich house that he had been leaning against.

Teleport, he was going to teleport now. Forget Dudley, _Harry wanted to go home_!

So Harry tucked his elbows in to his sides, placing his hands on the straps of his backpack as he brought his feet and legs together. He ducked his head, closing his eyes in concentration while taking the few moments needed to gather the energy to teleport to calmly breath some more. Once that activity was finished, Harry didn't bother to move or open his eyes as he ducked his head further against his chest, so that his chin was touching it.

Harry imagined the details of his room. The spindle metal bars surrounding his bed that had light blue, thick sheets and a single pillow to the slightly rickety desk that sat under the window that still didn't own any curtains. There was the moveable closet of too the side, so Harry made sure to add that too. From the pale walls to the dark grey carpet, Harry tried to transfix his room to his mind.

With a frown, Harry opened his mouth to speak, but jumped when a pair of warm hands brushed up against his face. His eye's shot open only to land on the face of a boy. A boy that could only be around ten years old from the look of him with messy red hair that was cropped short to his head and bright emerald eyes. Harry had calmed down at the sight of the boy, eyes instantly drawn to the vivid red of his hair.

The older boy scrunched his nose at him, "hey, kid. What are you doing walking around like this?" Harry's eyes quickly turned and looked to the ground as he closed the mouth that had dropped open. The other was wearing a yellow poncho, the shiny material looks to be dry and the hood was down. They weren't wearing matching boots, and Harry could see the dark blue jeans the other was wearing along with the off-white, worn sneakers. "I'm.. _ah_.. lost." Harry bit out after a moment, voice quieting down with each word he spoke.

A red eyebrow raised up as the only boy looked down at him. The other boy was so much taller then Harry! "Well, I know this area pretty well. Where do you live, kid?" The older boy asked, dropping his hands from Harry's cold face. Harry almost jumped after the other, he was so cold and the other was so warm! But Harry restrained himself from doing that to a stranger. Not only would it be uncalled for, but the other might decide that Harry wasn't worth helping if he did something strange.

His class had thought it was strange that he tended to space out so easily and so often that it had only helped to alienate him more from his classmates after Dudley had pulled his little stunt. And Harry didn't need to distract himself with his own thoughts because the world around him should be more then enough to keep him occupied. They had thought he was weird. But Harry just liked to go over what Eclipse was teaching him when he had the chance. So he would remember it better.

He was learning for Eclipse's sake, after all.

Harry jumped when the boy let out a faint growl, looking somewhat annoyed as he kept his green eyes pinned down on Harry. The younger boy jumped, giving the other a wide eyed look when he realized that by thinking about his tendency to drift away from the present, that he had actually started to do so.

"A.. _ah_.. Number Four Privet Drive.." Harry said quickly, resisting the urge to take a step back from the other's intimidating face. His Aunt had drilled in that name in to Harry's head. Harry supposed it was from the fact that she didn't want him to seem shameful because he didn't know his own address even though Dudley hadn't gotten it down yet. The red headed boy relaxed his face with a heavy sigh and furrowed his eyebrows at the younger boy. "I'd ask what you were doing all the way over here, but I don't care. I'll walk you back to Privet." Without so much as a 'by your leave' the older boy grabbed Harry's arm and tugged the other after him as he started to walk away. Heading down a new street that Harry hadn't gone down yet in his wanderings home.

It was the warm hand on his arm that stopped him from complaining much about the situation.

Besides, letting the older boy lead the way was just easier then anything else that Harry had in mind to do. The tension of knowing that he had had to almost resort to teleportation eased out of Harry when the other finally registered that he didn't need to find his own way home through magical means. The older boy seemed to know where he was going, so Harry was more then happy to let the other do as he pleased.

But the silence soon turned into one that lasted for too long. Or that was what Harry thought as he looked up at the other's back as they continued to walk. The area around them was vaguely familiar in that type of way that occurred when a good portion of the houses in the area were so much alike to the other houses of this city.

So, Harry turned his eyes to his feet and let himself be pulled along. Letting his eyes half close, as he was brought closer and closer to the area of his home. Though, he did pause long enough to look up to the sky. The sky was really starting to get dark now! How long had it been, how long since he had left school?

"Hey, which house is yours?" The boy said over his shoulder, glancing once to Harry before turning and looking to a street sign. They were in the right area and Harry knew exactly where he was and where he needed to go. It wasn't as if Harry could just describe it to the older boy. All of the houses looked the same. The same design with the same paint and with the same front yard. The cars were practically the same due to the fact that it was the most reliant and popular model for the moment. Even the flowers were generally the same.

Harry stepped up and next to the other to where the other had paused to look at a street sign and another sign that listed where the house numbers were. Harry shifted the grip the other had on his arm and moved to cling to the older boy's hand. "It's this way." Harry spoke softly as he turned and headed to the area containing houses one through twenty. The smaller numbers were further away so it would take a moment to actually reach his home. And the older boy easily fell in to step with Harry.

The younger boy paused and looked up at the other's face again. It had been a while since someone near to his own age had been nice to him—or around this nice to him. There were still the other classes at his school but no one actively moved around with him like this. Even though the older boy was only doing it out of concern or pity..

It was kind of touching.

This kindness was soothing away the hurts that Harry had been feeling for some time. He wasn't naturally unlikeable, as his cousin had told him, if this stranger was helping him like this. That they were willing to let him cling to that warm hand..

It didn't take long for Harry to see his house come in to view with the fading light. He stopped in front of it and turned to look up at the older boy as he let go of the other's soft, warm hand. Of course, the calm that had settled over them didn't stop Harry from letting loose a squawk when the other boy plopped his other hand down on top of Harry's hair and mussed up the other's damp locks with a grin.

"Hey, don't go crying about something as small as getting lost. You'll get home one way or another." The red haired boy said with a shrug as he let his hand slip away from the other's hair. "It may be scary, but.." The boy started and paused, looking down at Harry. He smiled a little bit.

".. my name is Erutis. We should play together sometime. I'll be there to make sure you won't get lost again."

What was this blooming feeling?

* * *

Harry sighed as he settled down amongst the sheets in his bed. Comfortable and warm and full of that delicious soup his Aunt had made for dinner to help brush off the chill that had followed the day to the night and the children in to the home. Harry buried his face against his pillow, eyes shut as he soaked in the comfort of his room. Already the experience of the sharp chill of the rain and the biting straps of his backpack was becoming nothing more then a weak memory. The skid marks were practically gone from his body either way. He had cleaned them when he took his shower after getting home so they would be gone by the morning.

The swipe of a paw on his ear caused Harry to turn his head and blink open his eyes to find Eclipse sitting next to his bed. Head tilted to the side and pressing violet eyes were fixed on Harry's face. "_Now_ that you're paying attention, Harry.." Eclipse started, straightening up his body and throwing his head back to gain the appearance that he was looking down at the boy even though his current body was rather small, "I would _recommend_ that you pay close attention to the lecture."

".. hey, Eclipse.." Harry mumbled against the pillow shortly after the other had spoken, before he paused and lifted himself up a little bit so he could speak clearly. "Do you think.. just for today we could talk about anything else? Tell me.. would you tell me more about yourself?" Harry asked as he shifted and wrapped his arms around his pillow, looking up to Eclipse. The light on the desk near to his bed was still on. His Aunt had bought him some curtains when she was out that day and had set them up in his room when he had been gone. "I want to know more about you."

Eclipse had stopped giving him the fake-haughty look now, at least.

".. I don't know where to start." Eclipse spoke after a moment, his deep voice appearing after a moment of considerable silence. Harry stayed where he was, lying down and watching the other as he kept his silence. "I've done things I've regretted and I've done things I don't." Eclipse added after a moment, pausing on the words that he spoke to the other. The demon had lived such a long life, but Harry didn't see how the other could find himself feeling bad for anything. Eclipse was only filled with good things! He was so kind and so warm and so.. and so.. Eclipse.

Without Eclipse, Harry didn't know if he would have even been as happy as he is now.

"How old are you?" Harry asked after the sudden pause lasted a few moments too long and Eclipse seemed like he would stay in silence unless prompted to say more. He changed the subject, to something easier then where Eclipse had been going.

"I do not remember." There was a strange emotion attached to those words that Harry didn't recognize as he looked up in to the other's eyes. Harry pushed himself further down in to his bed, making a nest out of his pillow and blankets. "I am old now. I don't remember how many turns I've been on this planet."

Harry paused before he spoke this time. "Did you have any friends.. back with the others that you served?"

"Yes. Every time I gained a new master I gained a new set of friends." Eclipse answered with what appeared to be a smile. While there was no smile on the cat's face, there was the half closed eyes and smile-tone that Harry had learned to recognize. "Some have even remained over the ages. The ones that were demons themselves, that is." Only demons seemed to want to stay friends with a demon. Humans hardly had the choice of sticking around due to their short lives but every other long lasting creature seemed to.. avoid demons.

".. is it possible.. to have and keep human friends?" Maybe this wasn't really a getting to know the other session now, and maybe it wasn't personal questions that Harry was now asking but he wanted to know. His first human friend had been taken away so painfully, was that the fate of all demons that gained humans as friends? To eventually be forgotten or left behind? Was it so that should he be friends with Erutis, if he ever met the boy again, that the human would eventually leave him?

If having human friends meant something like that, what would be the point of being with them? Why be friends with something that was going to leave you?

It seemed smarter to only be friends with demons, then.

Eclipse had nodded his head. But spoke no other word on it. Maybe it was something that everyone already knew and Harry was the only odd one out? Maybe everyone but him had been born knowing how to have human friends and he was defective. Dudley said he was defective often enough, maybe it was true?

"..Why do humans die, is there a reason?" Harry asked, still thinking back to Chris and the newly met Erutis. He was sure that he would never meet the red headed boy again, but he had been such a nice human. And they were both indeed human and humans always died after they grew up so much.

Eclipse had told Harry that Harry's life would be equal to the power he would gain when he reached the teen years of Demon life. Harry knew that he was different from humans in that aspect. Different from his Aunt, his Uncle and his stupid cousin and all of the other humans that frolicked at his school because of what he was. But what made them so different? What made humans.. die?

Harry paused then and looked at Eclipse's slightly rigid, but quickly relaxing form and Harry tried to hide his frown. Had he said something wrong? The other was being so still and so quiet that Harry had to wonder if maybe he should have just remained quiet about the whole thing. So what if Eclipse had friends back then, before he had Harry to be friends with. It wasn't as if the other was going to leave him now just because he had friends from before.

Harry felt a chill go over his body as he realized.. Eclipse wouldn't leave him because he couldn't leave him. Harry had to learn how to be a Demon Lord and gain his skills in magic before Eclipse could go back to the way that he once was. And then, and then Eclipse would be humanoid. He would be like Harry was and he wouldn't be obligated to stay because he would have taught Harry all he needed to know.

How _far_ would this go, how _long _would this last?

"Humans are humans." Eclipse answered simply, moving from where he was seated so that he was standing again. Harry stared up at the other as his mind raced desperately against itself and it's own superstitious paranoia. He was shaking faintly as he curled his legs up and pressed his lips together and remembered that he was still alive and still here and he still needed to breath! Once on all four limbs, Eclipse hopped over to the small desk, making a soft groan come from the rickety piece of furniture as he reached out with his mouth to grab the chain attached to the light to turn it out. "..You'll understand when you're older."

.. and he didn't want to wait till he was older! Stuff like this was important in the now!

Harry watched the light shutter out and blinked as his eyes swiftly adjusted to the darkness again. Eclipse had made it back to the bed and had settled down on Harry's legs before the young demon could see again. Harry took a deep breath to calm himself down, did he really need to worry about it now? It would be a long time before he would have learned all he needed to know. And by then, and by then maybe Eclipse would grow to like him too. Not from the need to be liked so he could gain something but to genuinely like him! "I'm_ not_ tired, Eclipse." Harry protested faintly at the silent command that the other was telling him. He didn't want to go to sleep right now! He wanted to talk to Eclipse, he wanted to get to know the other better and for the other to get to know Harry better. Harry pouted as he turned to look over at his teacher.

He wanted to bond. As a student and teacher or as a father and son it didn't matter to him!

… Harry just didn't want his traitorous little thoughts to come true. After all, the considerate kindness that Eclipse was showing to his childish whims and wants. How long would that last?

Eclipse glanced once to the door—he could hear a late night television show from the downstairs that was still being watched—before he looked back and over to Harry. He gained his smile-tone as he spoke once again to the other. "I will tell you a story, Harry.." Eclipse shifted, making his part of the bed as comfortable as he could get. "And tomorrow you will study twice as hard and learn several things."

The Demon Lord paused before he nodded to the other. This situation didn't seem to be half bad. Maybe this story would show him more of Eclipse, if it was something from Eclipse's memories, then it had to be important.

Eclipse paused for a long time before he began to speak, "there was once a time when Gods and Demons waged a battle on the mortal realm. It was the longest feud the world had ever known to the point where even those who participated and lead the war forgot the reasons to why it started. It had merely become a way of life.. But then, it had been foretold that there would be one who would rise up and restore the harmony of the world…"

* * *

Harry opened his eyes as a faint knocking came from his door. He looked toward it, but it didn't open so he turned his head and looked to his window. The faint morning light drifted down and under the curtains telling him that it was morning now. His Aunt never bothered with an alarm clock besides the one that she and his Uncle owned. She always woke him and Dudley up herself even though it always took ages to get Dudley to get up.

He shifted slightly in his bed, feeling that Eclipse was curled up against the back of his legs again. Harry moved and slipped out of the bed, since he was facing the room either way. He shivered slightly to himself when he reached the cool air. He had taken his shower the night before so as to avoid getting more chilled then needed in the morning. Harry walked straight to his dresser to grab something to wear, opening the creaky doors. Harry paused, the brown on one side and green on the other mobile closet door rested in his hands as he looked ahead of himself.

With a swiftly cooling hand Harry reached out and touched the burnt orange and dark brown coat that Dudley had nicked yesterday. The moment he touched the piece of clothing, he could feel the magic that remained on it. The remains of a summoning charm and maybe a cleaning one, or so Harry imaged.

Harry smiled and quickly pulled on some clean clothes, a long sleeved shirt and some jeans before he paused and pulled on a light pull over and then the coat. He was going to be warm going home today.

… maybe he'd go and get lost again for a little while after school today.

"Thank you.. Eclipse."

Harry felt the warmth of this kindness blanket his soul in peace. No, there was no need to be scared or frightened. They were going to be together for a while as it was.

Eclipse was surly going to care for him.

Already Harry couldn't imagine life without Eclipse with him.

Harry patted himself down and wiggled his limbs to make sure everything had set itself comfortably before he closed his closet door (only to watch it drift slightly open with a small creak) before moving back over to his bed. Since he had removed himself, Eclipse had curled up even more so then what he had been before. Harry placed his hands on the spot that he had vacated and felt that it was still toasty warm. He looked over to Eclipse before he drew his arms in to his body. Pressing his hands together Harry closed his eyes and concentrated.

With a few whispered words while releasing a small stream of power in to the area, Harry opened his eyes and focused his power around Eclipse's body. Willing the magic to lift up the demon turned cat and drift the other to the spot that Harry had vacated. When the other was lying safely on the bed next to the pillow, Harry shuddered and panted lightly as he eyed the other.

Eclipse would be so proud that he was practically practicing that technique. It was so hard to do! And Harry didn't like the small chants that occurred with the spells all too much but he was doing his best! Harry reached out and pushed the blankets around Eclipse so that the sleeping demon cat was wrapped up in the nest like he had been last night.

With that, Harry left the room to go check on his bag that had been left at the front door the night before. It had actually gotten slightly damp about the zipper areas so his Aunt had done something that she said would dry it, so he was going to make sure. Tip toeing down the stairs, Harry arrived on the first floor of the house as his Aunt moved from the front door with the mail in her hand. She smiled at Harry as she walked by and Harry couldn't help but smile back to the woman.

A quick check on his bag showed that it was dry, so Harry replaced all of his school things before moving in to the kitchen as his Aunt moved to heave back upstairs for Dudley. Harry quietly entered the kitchen and took his place at the table. His uncle was hidden behind the newspaper and was keeping his silence. So Harry kept to himself and merely focused on his plate.

He and his Uncle weren't the best at getting along. In fact, it was better when his Uncle pretended he didn't exist. Harry didn't mind so much, things were better when his Uncle gave him indifference. Otherwise the man was always trying to correct him when it wasn't needed and give him unwanted advice.

Harry was halfway finished with breakfast when Dudley stumbled in to the room followed by his mouth. Harry took a moment to glance at all of the plates that were on the table then. His Aunt normally took decently small portions of food. It kept her at a good weight. Harry had been noticing it for a while though, that his Aunt was slowly but surely giving Dudley and his Uncle less and less food. Turning their portions in to something smaller. There was also the fact that she had just bought new plates.

Harry noticed that they were smaller then the old ones. But his Uncle and Dudley didn't seem to notice. Uncle Vernon had even commented that his Aunt had made more food then normal after they had gotten the first meal on the new, smaller plates. His Uncle and cousin had eaten less ever since then.

Harry wisely kept his mouth shut. If Dudley was smaller then he wouldn't be as scary. And if his Uncle was smaller.. well, maybe he'd be nicer because then he'd be allowed sweets?

Harry finished his breakfast and thanked his Aunt as he stood and placed his empty plate and fork in the sink. If the dishes were still there when he got back from school, he promised himself that he would do them as a 'thank you' before dusting around the house like his Aunt had asked him to do as a chore. Harry liked dusting. His Aunt always gave him this stick of plastic with a blue fluffy thing that was attached on that gathered the dust and was thrown away when he was done.

Harry returned to the front door and pulled on his shoes. They were dry, his Aunt had put a few pieces of old and squished newspaper in to them the other day and that had made them dry somehow! At the front Harry sat with his backpack at his side while he played with the large zipper that was at the half opened point for the moment.

It didn't take too long for the rest of his family to catch up, but soon enough the other members of the household gathered at the front door and Harry watched his Aunt fuss over his Uncle, then his cousin and finally over himself. She tried to make his hair lay flat, then zipped his coat up all the way and then adjusted his back pack and checked to make sure he had his lunch in there. While she did so, Harry's Uncle and Cousin moved out of the door and when they reached the car, his Aunt finally released him and Harry scampered after the others to the car and got in the back while Dudley road in the front with his father.

Harry waved goodbye to his Aunt as his Uncle drove him and Dudley to school. Another day.

Harry shifted and settled in for watching the world go by his window.

When they arrived at the school, Harry gave his thanks to his Uncle for bringing him to school (who merely grunted in confirmation) and Harry took that as the sign that he should head on now. It looked like his Uncle wanted to talk to his Cousin alone either way. So Harry left the car and carefully treaded his way to the parking lot till he reached the actual school.

Harry didn't think twice about moving and diving in to the open door of his classroom. Leaving the chilly air in favor of the bright warmth that was his classroom.

Harry didn't mean to bump in to a kid shortly after rushing in. They both bounced back slightly and Harry quickly mumbled an apology while ducking his head. His classmates never seemed to want to hear if he was sorry or not either way.

"Nah, it was no trouble!"

Harry blinked to himself as he felt his chest tighten in pain. Looking up, Harry placed a hand over his heart. Why had that voice done that to him?

The dark hair and the light brown eyes and the tan skin was all the same. Physically, Chris hadn't seemed to have changed at all. But there were a few things that Harry noticed, the last, mournful images of his friend were burned in to his mind after all. The bags under the other's eyes were all but gone. There was no trace of sullenness or tears on the other's face. In fact, Harry could say that the other's eyes were _sparkling_.

And Chris smiled with such intensity that Harry had never known the other to have. So much joy and pure, wordless happiness that Harry didn't know if he should be sad or jealous.

In the end, he chose to be sad. Seeing the other so happy and so content and knowing that he himself hadn't been able to do anything to actually put that look on Chris' face hurt more then Harry had ever imagined that it would.

"I'm new to this school, just moved. And my name is Chris! Who are you?" When had the other become so friendly and bright?

And Harry cried. From being happy himself or from being sad he didn't know. Everything was mixing up together and he didn't really understand it anymore. Was this what people called second chances? Divine intervention? Pity? It wouldn't be the same boy he had befriended. The Chris he knew was irreplaceable. But.. maybe..

Harry dimly noted that people were looking and Chris had grabbed his face and was asking what was wrong and some part of Harry cried for the fact that it wasn't his Chris that was standing before him. It wasn't his Chris who had once clung on with such desperation and with such sadness and knowing that made all of it seem so strange.

If that God who had taken his Chris away would allow Harry the chance to be with the other once again, to be friends with the other once more then maybe, maybe Harry hadn't had anything to worry about after all.

But.. did he want to chance it? Harry's hands pressed down against his own chest and against his heart. He imagined the frantic beating as he shut his eyes from the burn of tears. Did he want to risk being left behind?

He didn't know how to keep a human friend!

"M.. my name is Raenef." Harry stuttered out through tears.

.. maybe nobody else knew either and everyone else just let things move with the flow of time. Maybe that was what Eclipse wanted him to figure out on his own.

Chris gave an uncertain smile.

And Harry smiled back through the tears that were full of anxiety, happiness and pain.

Things would never be as they once were. But maybe the Chris he had known would return someday. Harry looked to the Chris before him, and through the other he imagined his Chris standing before him and his heart twisted itself in trembling anticipation.

Maybe this was what second chances were like.

* * *

**A/N: .. whooo.. Shorter wait this time, right? I was actually going to end this after the coat, but didn't want to think of a new title. I decided to end the Chris issue while I could. And I brought in Erutis. I get her apperance from the third cover and I'm going to stick with it since that is how I imagine her. She might have brown hair for all I know since the covers of the books seem to go by theme.. ' I hope you lot enjoyed the chapter, please review! .. reviews make me happy? They're really nice so you should! Anyway, hopefully things will continue to move along at a decent pace. Or at least it won't take me forever to post up the chapters since I'm more in to it again. Oh yeah, this is the longest chapter that I've made so far, hurrah!**

.. review?


	7. The Trouble With Wizards

****

Chapter 7: The Trouble with Wizards

**One stops being a child when one realizes that telling one's trouble does not make it any better.  
**_Cesare Pavese_

Chris looked back at his new friend whom he was tugging along by the wrist. It had been a very, very odd week but he had found that he didn't mind so much now that it was the end of it. Having started classes not on the first day had worried his father but things had worked out for the better! Or that was what Chris supposed—if working out for the better meant having one friend, the admiration of the younger kids and half of the people in his class and giving Dudley Dursley a bloody nose..

His new friend was also giving him one of those weird looks again.

It was a weird look; Chris couldn't really tell what it meant because it always made the other look like he was about to cry. The edges of Raenef's eyes would get puffy and his eyes would get bright and he'd cling tightly to any hand that was offered as comfort.

Chris just supposed he was friend deprived. No one else seemed to like Raenef much and Chris could see why. Raenef was weird. And that look he sometimes gave was creepy to Chris.

But somehow, in the end, he was still dragging along the creepy guy.

Maybe it was because he didn't look fully up to stuff. Pale skinned, skinny with big eyes—all of these features made Raenef look weak and Chris didn't have the heart to not let the other cling to him. He remembered (as far back as he was able) to the first time he remembered looking in to the mirror and seeing himself so thin and small and weak.

He hated weak looking things.

They weren't friends or anything. He was just going to help the other get stronger. Be that lending hand and all like his father had been. After all, it needed to start somewhere and learning how to beat up Dudley Dursley was the ideal spot to begin. He would teach the other to stand up to his cousin and then that fat boy would leave the other alone.

Chris pulled to a stop in front of his home. He paused and out of the corner of his eye took a quick peak at Raenef's face. The other's too bright emerald eyes were transfixed on to the beautiful pale walls of the house. The house itself looked giant with the gate between them and the actual building. Giant and grand and fit for a king! Chris could understand, those had been his first thoughts too.

Reaching out, Chris pushed open the gate that would allow them access inside. Slipping in and tugging the other after, the taller boy closed the gate behind them. Raenef paused then, looking up at the house with his large eyes. Chris frowned a moment, tugging lightly on the other's hand to get the other moving. But Raenef stayed put, so Chris just turned and looked back to his house.

The house was two floors tall, but that didn't make it anything too special in Chris's opinion since there were loads of those types of houses scattered around the neighborhood and England in general. It might have been the size, though. The house was large, several rooms across within their sight alone. They didn't really need such a large house, in fact Chris knew his father wasn't all too comfortable with it but it was a house that he had inherited from his parents when they passed on. Or that was what his father had said. The walls were a pristine ivory white color that made it look just as holy as the church he and his father went to, the windows were open at the moment since it was such a lovely day outside, thin white curtains billowing in and out of them with the small breeze that they had.

Chris let his eyes wander back to his friend. Raenef didn't have such a strange look anymore, so Chris took this as a sign to get the smaller boy moving. Another tug on the other's hand and he had the other trailing after him again. Like how Raenef had been trailing after for the last half hour that they had been walking here.

Raenef wasn't going to sleep over, that would only happen if the other didn't take to the 'get strong' lessons that Chris was going to give to him. There were self-help books in his father's library so Chris knew that they would get somewhere today, if nothing else. He knew exactly which books he needed to get, after all, he had looked through them for himself, too.

"Chris..?" Raenef's voice interrupted Chris's concentration on the book in front of himself. Chris paused and looked up to the other boy who was sitting across from him at the only table in the library. The self-help books Chris had gathered were piled around the table they were sitting at. Reading the books was hard, though… they didn't have the best of attention spans, after all.

The looks of concentration on their faces earlier had stopped his father from bothering them in the library, Chris knew that to be true. Chris gave the other a leveled stare that made Raenef fidget before seemingly taking a large in take of air, almost like he was inflating himself as he narrowed his eyes in faint determination.

"I need to use the bathroom."

Chris let his body slump forward. The other had used all of the techniques to pressure himself in to being more assured. But, but the other had used it to ask for something that was given already! That didn't give it much use at all. Chris sighed and mumbled out the directions. It didn't take but a moment for the other to hop up and scramble out of the room.

He sighed and Chris let himself lean backwards in his chair as he let his eyes slide to the clock on the far way. It was late; he needed to send the other home anyway.

Chris didn't bother to think too hard at the bubbling disappointment in his chest over the idea that the other was leaving. The idle thought that the other would have to be pulled back here again made the feeling go away.

* * *

Chris sighed to himself as Raenef paused at the gate again. The other was staring at his house …again. He had thought that after two weeks the other would stop doing this. But the other hadn't changed at all since he had first met the other boy! The other still stayed wimpy and weird and creepy with those creepy looks on his face! Chris felt a tick of irritation on his face and took in a big, gulping, calming breath that went unnoticed by the creepy boy he was still leading around.

The other hadn't seemed to want to change at all. He just clung to Chris's hands and watched him with big, teary eyes that stared and stared and Chris was _near_ to pulling out his hair in frustration!

Chris let his body lump forward, face pressed against the metal bars of the gate that led in to his home. His left arm still stretched out and his left hand still hostage to Raenef's grasping little fingers—Chris felt the burning desire to take that comfort away. Maybe the coddling was making the other unable to become strong? But he had tried that once.. and he never wanted to see tears on Raenef's face again. The first two times had been enough. Chris couldn't stand other people crying.

Crying was for the weak.

But that sentiment didn't wipe out the feeling of annoyance and anger when Raenef had the gall to tug on his hand. Chris jerked back from the gate, he didn't care if the other would cry anymore! He didn't care! He was practically nine years old, and the other wasn't that much younger! They were too old for stupid things like this! "What do you think you're doing you little id—!"

Chris froze, brown eyes widening as a pair of lidded green eyes stared right at him. Green eyes surrounded by red hair, the other boy was giving him a frightening glare! Chris flinched, unintentionally squeezing Raenef's fingers with his left hand.

The red-headed boy had draped himself over Raenef's shoulders, and the boy was certainly older then the two of them. And having an older, stronger looking boy giving them such a look was not something Chris wanted to experience. The red-head's yellow poncho squeaked faintly as he moved, adjusting his grip on Raenef's shoulders and the glare intensified.

"So.._ you're_ the reason the kid got lost a few weeks ago, aren't ya? Some friend _you_ are." The scowl that had appeared on the red-head's face could have been considered funny, if Chris wasn't so worried about what the other was implying. Well, not really about what the other was implying so much as being worried about what the other would do about this implication!

"Raenef didn't get lost because of me." Chris hissed back with a scowl. He didn't like this new kid, how could they just assume that he was the reason? He didn't even know that Raenef had gotten lost! In fact.. Chris glanced slightly down from the red-head to look at Raenef's face. The other was blinking owlishly and maybe a bit dully up at the other. He tilted his head to the side for a moment, his little mouth curling a bit in distress. He was trying to remember something, Chris knew that look well from the last few weeks that they had been spending time together.

Raenef's face brightened, "Erutis!"

Chris stiffened, so this boy _actually_ knew this guy!

The glare disappeared and 'Erutis' looked down at Raenef with a grin. "Hey kid. Sorry that I never picked up your name the other time. Its good to see you're doing good, even with your.. friend." A quick glare was sent toward Chris before the red-head switched moods again and smiled down at Raenef.

"Since I found you, Rae, lets go play hide and seek!" Erutis used the name Chris had willing given away with a grin, tugging Raenef backwards and away from Chris.

But Chris refused to let go of Raenef's hand. Chris scowled at Erutis, "no way! We've already made plans. We're going to my house. You can go away now." Erutis glared back at Chris and Chris didn't mind engaging in the glaring match. The two both took in deep breaths, trying to make themselves look bigger and more intimidating. Erutis seemed to be well practiced with it, since he actually did achieve a more intimidating look. Chris just looked like he suffered an allergic reaction to a bee sting.

Chris deflated, he didn't like this guy at all! Then, his eyes locked on to Raenef, whose eyes were glancing back and forth between the two, a clueless smile on his face.

"Raenef! Tell us who you want to hang out with." Chris said, tugging abruptly on the other's hands. "You want to come to my house, right? We have stuff to work on!" They had to get the other stronger. Raenef's lips pulled back and he opened his mouth to say what Chris was pretty sure was an agreement till Erutis jostled the other and spoke instead. "Don't you want to come and play with me? I promised I wouldn't let you get lost again. We'll have lots of fun." Erutis gave the other a pretty smile and Raenef looked between the two with wide eyes.

"I.. I.." Raenef stuttered, eyes starting to become teary as he gave them both a pleading look. The tears were welling up!

Chris choked, stepping forward, "don't you _dare_ cry!"

.. that hadn't helped at all.

Erutis scowled at Chris and slapped away the other's hand so he could pull Raenef in to a hug, patting the boy on the back. "C'mon, this guy isn't a good friend. Come play with me." Erutis seemed fine with just ditching Chris where he was.

Chris stared at the two with wide eyes, his slapped hand hanging in the air, mouth open. What had just happened? Hadn't he, hadn't he tried to make the other stop crying? It wasn't like the other had anything serious happen, there was no reason for Raenef to be crying! His father had only hugged him when serious things had happened. Chris felt his chest tighten and he paled at the strange feeling.

He placed his hand over his heart as he watched Erutis calm his.. his friend down. Erutis was going to take his friend away. But then again, if he only made Raenef cry.. if he only thought of the other as a weirdo and creepy then what kind of friend was he? He never thought that of anyone else that he had known.

"B.. _but_.." Chris didn't know why, but the protest the other made lifted the pain from his heart. He may not have been able to see the other as a friend a little while ago, days ago, but now he couldn't imagine not having his creepy friend around. It was as if something inside was protesting the very thought of the other leaving him.

He didn't know when he had done it, but Raenef's hand was firmly clasped in one of his hands and he glared up at Erutis. "I'm coming to play too." It was a challenge, he wouldn't let the other take Raenef away! This will to stop this had come from inside, and he wasn't going to let it go unheeded.

Erutis glared down at Chris, but Raenef had calmed down, so he huffed and looked away from the other. Letting go of Raenef, Erutis stepped away and grabbed Raenef's other hand and started to tug the other two along. Chris knew there was a park nearby somewhere. He was sure Erutis was taking them there. So he took the time to look to Raenef. The other's face was a bit red, and his eyes a bit puffy but it didn't seem that the other had cried much.

A tension he hadn't noticed relaxed.

No, he never wanted to see Raenef cry again.

* * *

"Since you're just a tagalong, you can be 'it'." Erutis said, poking the left side of Chris's face. Chris jerked, lips pulling back as he moved to bite the offending finger. But Erutis was quick, and he quickly pulled that hand back. Erutis just placed his hands on his hips with a smirk and quickly spirited Raenef from Chris's side.

Erutis pointed to a tree, "now, go and count to fifty! We're going to hide now!"

Chris couldn't wait to find the other and wipe that smug look off the other's face. He huffed but moved to the tree. He placed his arms on the rough bark, glad to have worn a thick, dark green jacket instead of the normal poncho over a t-shirt. Chris closed his eyes and pressed his face in to his arms.

"One… two… three.." Chris began to count out loud, as loud as he could. He heard Raenef giggle and footsteps as the other two moved away from his tree at the park entrance. He felt a spark of annoyance toward the other boy, but that faded away. The other was pretty happy to be here, and at least the kid wasn't crying. Chris paused to give out a sigh before he continued to count.

As he counted, he wondered how wise it was to play such a game in such chilly, wet weather. The sky would darken up soon and if they didn't get back quick enough his dad would have to call Harry's house so someone could drive the other back home. Chris paused in that thought, why couldn't the other just sleep over? If this ran late enough, the other could stay with him.

This was obviously only the second time that Erutis had seen Raenef, and that meant that Chris knew Raenef better then he did! Chris grinned wolfishly. "Thirty-two… thirty-three…"

Chris really didn't know why Raenef had turned from "creepy kid" to "creepy friend" but the other had become something important. There had been a connection he hadn't noticed till he had felt it threatened by some older boy. There had been a connection that he never wanted to break. He was going to do his best to protect it, and already he easily felt the transition of accepting the other further in to his heart. They were going to become.. best friends. Other kids had wanted to become best friends with him, but he had never connected with them like he had Raenef.

No, he wasn't going to let something as _trivial_ as someone named 'Erutis' break this.

"Forty-nine… fifty!" Chris called, jerking his head back and looking around the damp park.

The sky looked darker this time around. The play set looked dull in the light and the sand was damp looking. A few children scattered in rain boots and coats meandered around the park, poking at the sand with sticks or whatever they had in mind to poke at. The tall trees in the area seemed to blend in back with the other trees and the grass under his feet made unpleasant noises as he moved.

Chris frowned to himself and moved to the sand pit. This was the most obvious place to go, so maybe Raenef had decided to hide somewhere in here. After all, his friend never seemed to be the brightest pumpkin in the patch. Chris reached out and rubbed the back of his head as he looked around. He stepped down and off of the grass onto the sand and blinked as he felt himself sink in a little. He paused and looked around the sand for footsteps leading in.

There weren't many trails to follow, after all.

Locating footprints near his own, Chris trailed after it. Following the steps to the other side of the sand box to the grass. With the footsteps gone, he looked around once again. Nothing seemed out of place. There hadn't been anyone on the equipment because the metal bars were damp. You slipped when they were damp.

Chris frowned as he looked around himself. How the hell was he supposed to find them? He huffed, back stiff as he proceeded to march around the park with the vague hope that he would find Erutis or Raenef. Hopefully one of them would slip and fall out in to the open and he'd be able to tag them. They hadn't made a 'safe spot' so they would have to be tagged or else.

The dark haired boy mulled over his current predicament to himself as he wandered around the park. He could feel random, small drops hitting the ground and his face every so often. The drops weren't big enough to make noise on his poncho so the light drizzle was more of a mist then rain. But it was still annoying and it was making his hair stick down.

He'd get his father to make hot chocolate for his and Raenef when they got to the house.

…Erutis could come too, he supposed.

Ducking quietly behind a tree, he blinked when he happened upon someone's back. A certain red headed boy's back. Chris stared at the other even as Erutis ducked forward to look around the large trunk to survey the now empty looking park and all the structures and play things in it. Chris took a moment and waved his empty hands around behind the older child's back.

Where did this lovely good luck come from?

A evil grin slipped over Chris's face as he moved his feet shoulder width apart and held his arms out. He took in a deep breath and let it out, before silently sucking in a new one. Quickly, the boy let out a mighty roar as he reached out and yanked the back of Erutis's poncho.

Erutis let out a girly scream as the yank made him tumble back and on to his back. Landing on the wet ground with a 'thumb'. Erutis stared up at a smirking Chris dazedly before a look of anger crossed over his face.

"Is this how you treat a _lady_?" Erutis bit out the words, scowling as he shook his fists up at Chris from the ground.

"… Lady?"

Chris stared as Erutis clambered to his feet and gave Chris a blank stare. "Of course. Did you honestly think I was a boy?"

Chris looked away with a twitch. He had, he had! He would bet his next serving of fish and chips that Raenef thought the other was a boy as well!

"You really thought I was a boy!"

Chris squawked and raised his arms up in defense. "I'm sorry!"

After a few moments of well-spent rage, Erutis calmed down soon. Though she was still giving Chris glares that promised future retribution. Chris couldn't stop shuddering every time she looked at him like that. Chris sighed before sullenly looking over to the girl.

Girls had _cooties_, too.

"Well, where is Raenef hiding?" Chris asked the girl since she had run off with his friend when the game had started. Erutis gave the other a blank look. "He was going to hide behind the large pillars at the front of the park." She said, pointing toward the entrance. "He said that was the biggest object for him to hide behind."

"Well, lets go get him. Its starting to rain." Chris gave a pointed look to the sky. Big, fat drops of rain were starting to appear every so often. Erutis nodded absently as she moved off to lead the way to the park entrance. At least they didn't have to pick up any nonexistent toys.

Erutis froze when a sharp blast of noise rang through the air similar to the crack of whip and Chris clapped his hands over his ears as he bumped in to the girl. They both turned wide eyes to the gate. What was that noise?

* * *

Harry gurgled as the fingers around his throat tightened. He didn't honestly know how this had happened. He had just been hiding behind the gate that led in to the park when a hand had descended on to his shoulder. He had only gotten a brief flash of a sallow, pasty face before he was pushed face first in to the wall next to the gate. The scraggily grey stone pushed angrily in to his face as he flailed his limbs and tried to call for help. His first yelp had been soft but vocal. Then he couldn't breath and no one was coming to his rescue.

His vision was blackening around the edges as he whimpered deep in his throat. His small, soft nails digging uselessly in to his attacker's unbelievably hard, scale covered gloves. He had tried kicking the man in the shin or the crotch, but when he had flailed back all his leg had hit was a thick cloth. He had thought it was a bag at first, but his leg got caught in it and he discovered it was something of a dress.

But the hands were so big and strong, he didn't think this was a woman.

Harry could feel something in his throat just starting to give as the big hands clenched even more as if he was unhappy with this slow death. Harry could feel tears and snot dripping down the front of his face. He couldn't even see, the tears were so bad. As the world grew darker Harry desperately wished for someone to help him. For someone to do _anything_.

He wished Eclipse was here to tell him how to stop the pain.

All of the sudden, the hands loosened and Harry could breath. His hands still clawing.. Then the fingers tightened after the small breather and his head was slammed against the wall. Harry moaned in pain, his body slowly falling limp as the black stretched even further across his blurry vision. Everything felt so heavy.

Was this how he was going to die? His friends frolicking in the park that was a mere hands width from where he was being choked to death? The tears were coming harder as his throat started to give. But he didn't think his attacker was going to let up again.

He didn't want to_ die_.

He wanted to _live_.

And the only name that was chanting through his mind was Eclipse; Eclipse, _Eclipse, Eclipseeclipseeclipse_.. His eyes were popping out of his sockets! He was dying!

And even then, when everything was hurting and in pain his mind jerked to a halt and seemed to freeze in on Eclipse. On something that his teacher had mentioned only in passing…

Only demons could draw upon their natural magic to use this. A shudder rippled through his body and it felt like he was floating. He couldn't feel his body anymore. Harry's eyes started to roll even as he tried to grasp what Eclipse had said. He wanted to live!

Harry knew that Dark magic needed no incantation.

He tried to focus, he really did as his fingernails ripped when they got caught in the scales that were on the rough gloves that felt closer to steel then to leather. He tried to focus when the hands got tighter. He tried to focus when the man started to laugh and speak but he couldn't even focus on what the man was saying!

Who knew that dying from suffocation would take so long.

Harry grasped for his magic, his inner core. He didn't need an incantation. Even if the mezraez was small, he had to do something. He had to do something even as the half remembered warning from Eclipse echoed through his brain about this type of magic.

This was his last resort! Harry refused to die!

Demon Lords weren't allowed to die to weaponless humans without a fight!

He grasped his magic and willed it to go under his skin. Protect him. Harry could feel the world slipping away entirely now. Fear filled his mind as he grasped for more and more and pushed more and more of his magic underneath his skin. Willed it to encompass his body and protect him.

He felt something in his throat.. compress…

Protect him and make his attacker hurt_ hurt hurthurthurt—_!

The man pulled away with a closed lip, throaty scream. All Harry knew in his last moments of consciousness was that he could finally breath!

…and it looked like someone and poured acid on that bastard's dingy hands.

* * *

Dedalus Diggle was a humble wizard at heart. He had lived a modest life. He had gotten average grades in Hogwarts when he was a child and he had gotten a modest job at what he did best, enchanting items. And like any modest, humble wizard, he held a great respect for life and equality and all things that were inherently right.

Which was why he, when the war was reaching it's peak, left his job and joined the Order of the Phoenix. An distant family member, Elphias Doge who was more of a family friend then relative introduced him to the Order. The man was old and Dedalus respected him greatly. Mr. Doge had gone to school with the great Albus Dumbledore after all. Because of that, and only because Doge knew the great Wizard was Dedalus able to enter the order and enter a world he had never known he had wanted.

He and learned through battle. He had learned the spells that his fellow order members and his enemies used. He learned to be quick on his feet, he learned to dodge and weave and he learned just how much he was letting his life waste away by settling on such a boring life. By sitting on the side lines and letting everyone else take care of the things that needed to be changed!

Fighting had changed him, he supposed. But as he grew older, and after the war settled down he became compliant. He settled down again. He married, he had children and he got a new job at a well-known enchanting store. And then Albus Dumbledore approached him just a few weeks ago for a favor.

Albus Dumbledore asked if he would shadow Harry Potter in the afternoons. He had mentioned that recent concerns amongst the order had made it that they requested that a constant watch be placed on the boy. It would be after his job let him out, his wife was a former member of the order and would hold an understanding over how important this was. His children had grown up in to teenagers and then adults.

So he agreed.

Having watched the boy at a great distance so that he wouldn't be found out, he often saw the boy pretending to talk to his pet cat. Which he brought everywhere. He saw the boy only play by himself and that cat. Harry Potter had grown up to be such a reclusive, lonely boy.

And Harry Potter was lonely until he met Chris. Until Harry got lost and met a nice neighborhood muggle with red hair—and then little Harry Potter wasn't so lonely. Dedalus felt more at ease knowing that the boy had friends other then a pet cat. Though, he supposed that he now knew the animal that Harry Potter was going to bring to Hogwarts with him when he turned to the ripe age for wizardry.

All of this amounted to his unhurried posture as he made his way along the homes near Chris's home. He followed the tugs of the wand in his hand. Muggles were all inside due to the weather, so he felt safe to carry his wand out and use a simple 'point me' spell to find the boy. He hadn't thought it would work when he casted it. But to is surprise, it worked rather well. He'd have to bring it up to Dumbledore when he saw the man next. This couldn't be safe for young Harry. Just about anyone would be able to find him then.

Dedalus hummed slightly when he realized that he was nearing a park. Even in the weather, he supposed that a park was appealing to young children. He wasn't allowed to interfere with Harry Potter's life, so he hoped that one of his new little friend's parents would show up soon to collect the lot of them before they got sick. He was only around to observe, after all.

He adjusted his soggy purple top hat and adjusted his faded light grey cloak once again as a chill whipped through the air. He would have placed a warming charm on himself if he wasn't using his wand to locate the boy he was supposed to be shadowing.

As he turned the corner he saw a man dressed in black robes stumble away from the wall that was at the entrance to the park. Dedalus chuckled as he moved forward to the obviously drunk man. It was a wizard, the clothes told him that much. But the man was weaving around as if he didn't know which way to fall. When the man gave a moan of pain, Dadalus quickly rushed to the man.

Maybe he had splinched himself?

It wasn't until he saw the crumpled body of his charge by the wall and smell burnt flesh that he suspected anything besides a normal wizarding accident. With his wand in hand he quickly sent a silent stunner to the darkly clothed man. With some satisfaction he watched the man land and lay on the ground. He quickly moved toward Harry's prone body.

Turning the boy on to his back, he winced at the angry marks on his face and neck. He checked the boy for a pulse and found a steady one. There was a bit of blood on his forehead and from his lip but the boy seemed fine. It didn't appear as if any magic had been used on him. Dedalus hovered anxiously over the boy. What should he do? He didn't think he could bring the boy to a Wizarding hospital. He didn't think he could without the media finding out.

_Merlin!_ That would be a mess.

Dedalus stood and peered in to the park to see Harry's friends slowly trailing their way toward Harry's position. They knew where he was… they could take him to a muggle hospital. If he wasn't alright after a muggle checked him over, he'd bring Dumbledore to him. Dedalus reached out and hauled the assailant wizard to his feet and held him as he focused where he wanted to be..

And with a solid whip-crack, he disappeared in to thin air.

* * *

He could feel someone petting his hair. But his eyes were so heavy that he didn't want to open them. Everything felt heavy and he was just so tired. The bed was comfortable and the sheets were warm and the hand petting his hair was gentle. Harry let out an appreciative sigh. It was like the touches his Aunt gave him occasionally when he did an especially good job helping her around the house or just in general.

It felt warm and caring and gentle.

But his sigh made that hand slow down. Harry cracked his eyes open and blinked hazily up at the man who had been petting his hair. His eyes wouldn't focus right. He could make out a masculine face and long black hair.. and purple eyes. If Eclipse was a human Harry thought the other would have eyes that glowed like that—because Eclipse had pretty eyes.

Harry's eyes widened then. Eclipse, he wanted to see Eclipse! His mouth cracked open but all that came through was a husky croak and the man above him placed his smooth fingers over Harry's mouth to silence him.

"Be strong, Master." His fingers were petting his hair again even as Harry's mind raced over the events that occurred prior to waking up in this soft bed in this hazy room. Pain was starting to race up the center of his chest even as the other tried to sooth him.

If he was in a better state of mind, Harry might have noticed that the person at his bed was the one he wanted to see. A version of the one he wanted comfort from. But all he could think about was cat fur and paws and a soft, warm body to cuddle with that fit perfectly in to his arms and how he had wanted the other so badly for comfort!

"Be strong.." The words echoed and Harry jerked.

It was a strange sensation, having your eyes open even as you opened them. Harry gasped weakly in to the breathing mask over his face. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn't a mask so much as a tube stuck down his throat. The clear, crispness of the room around him didn't help the rising panic as his body jerked and he started to choke.

But then hands were on his face and he could see his concerned Aunt's face hovering above and telling him to breath and be calm. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a nurse hovering around and doing something but his Aunt was talking… and then everything got hazy as he was suddenly overcome with the urge to sleep.

As he let the sleep overcome him, his Aunt's assurances put him at ease while the faint echo of 'be strong' put him at rest.

* * *

Harry gladly woke up in his bedroom without any medical equipment attached. He gave his room a bleary blink as he shifted under the covers that were tucked in around him. He hadn't tucked them in, he couldn't have. He guessed that his aunt had tucked them in for him.

When he had been stuck in the hospital she had been hovering around him and trying to take care of him. She'd pet his hair, hold his hands and wait for him to comfortably drift off to sleep. She had always been there when he woke up. Dudley had only shown up once but then never appeared again. He hadn't seen his Uncle at all. But with just his Aunt there… she was very soothing. And Harry thought his heart would burst as he let her worry over him as if she were his mother.

It was very heart warming.

His friends had even been there one time when he had woken up. That made his heart even warmer and he closed his eyes in content. They had been in tears, but he had been so happy to see them. And they were obviously happy to see him. They were happy that he was even alive. Chris would deny it, but he had actually started to sob after a little bit and Erutis had treated them both as if they were made of glass.

Their visit had been short but it had been sweet. They had promised to play again soon… and Chris said his father volunteered to watch over them next time.

Harry had been in the hospital for a long while. Something had happened to his throat after the man had squeezed it so and he had been rushed to the hospital shortly after his friends had found him. There had been a tube inside his throat for so long it was ridiculous. And he had had to stay in bed for so long. He hadn't been allowed to leave for weeks. Chris even had to bring him school work.

For some reason his friend wasn't obsessing over those self-help books now—Harry was glad for that, considering that it was more fun learning from Eclipse then trying to read those boring books…

The warm feeling thudded out as Harry opened his eyes again and looked around the room. Where.. where was Eclipse? Harry's eyes grew wide when he didn't spot the cat anywhere in his room. Where was his teacher? Where was his mentor? He slowly sat up in bed as his wide eyes went around the room. They were opened so widely as if that would give him the mystical power to suddenly spot Eclipse in the room.

He tried to speak out Eclipse's name but all he got was a dry rasp. Harry mentally moaned as he started to become frantic. Where was he?

"Master, calm down…"

Harry froze and looked down at his feet. There, laying on a discarded coat was a sleepy looking cat. Harry closed his eyes and let his body fall back. Well, that's what he would have liked to do. Instead he eased himself back on to his back. While he was just dying to get outside and frolic around like Chris promised to do with him…

That rush of adrenaline that appeared when he thought Eclipse wasn't there had made him tired.

Harry lazily opened his eyes and watched Eclipse settle down against his side, resting his head on Harry's stomach. He watched him for a good long moment.

"I won't leave your side again." There were no 'I missed you' from the other because it hadn't needed to be said. But even Harry could pick out the guilt and self-loathing in the way that Eclipse spoke. Because his mouth was still dry and his throat still achy, Harry merely reached out and ran his hands gently over Eclipse's ears.

_All is forgiven. As long as you stay at my side._

Harry smiled to himself and continued to pet the other's ears until he slowly dozed off again. He didn't really understand what had happened. His friends had been just as confused as he was.. But Eclipse and his Aunt and Chris's father seemed to understand. So for once Harry stopped wondering and just basked in the feeling knowing that he was cared for.

He didn't want Eclipse to ever leave his side again either. Eclipse always knew what to do in bad situations. And..

And..

Eclipse watched his charge fall asleep. He nuzzled the side of his head in to the boy's side and curled up. He hadn't been able to get in to the hospital. The only reason he had known what was going on was because of Harry's Aunt.

The moment his Lord was brought home eased a great worry off of his heart. And it made him realize that he wasn't dealing with a teenager as most of the Raenef Lords had been when he had found them to teach them their powers and their duties. Raenef was still a child. Harry was still a young child and Eclipse needed to keep that in mind. Keep in mind that he was still, truly unable to defend himself efficiently from those that would harm him.

What would have happened if a demon had found him instead of some sick human? Eclipse shuddered at the thought.

Eclipse wouldn't allow that to happen. Even if he had to become Harry's shadow, he wouldn't let it happen. He would protect the other with his life.

After all, he wouldn't be able to keep his promise to never leave the other if Harry was the one that left him.

* * *

**A/N ; **... Well, I guess typing up that other story's second chapter got this flowing. Its a bit weirdly written but I don't have the heart to go over it. Just enjoy it as it is, I suppose. Its pretty disjointed near the end but I wanted to skip the recovery process. And here is a chapter.. rather late to getting it up but I hope that if anyone is around to read it, that they enjoyed it. Its a total redo of that wizard chapter. Enjoy, and we'll see when the next chapter comes out.. I really do hope this compares alright to other chapters..

**Edit :** ... I just noticed a terrible spelling/grammer error and fixed it. Man, I'm embaressed.. e_e


	8. Happy Birthday

**Chapter 8: Happy Birthday**

_This has to be  
The most beautiful  
The most peacful place  
I've every been to_  
~Lyrics from Phil Collins, Brother Bear - Welcome

It had been about three years and a half years since the attack, as everyone deemed it. The attack on Raenef had started a neighborhood wide campaign to keep children safely under a watchful eye. Not all children appreciated the sentiment, but Raenef felt immensely safer once it was agreed that a more stable watch would be placed on the neighborhoods in the area. No child was allowed to wander or play in the parks alone and no child in primary was allowed to leave school without being picked up by a parent or the bus.

Everyone was under tight grips. But Raenef didn't care how much some kids didn't like it—everyone was safer and an incident like that had never happened since then. Even some of the older kids had stopped bullying the younger.

Apparently that one visit to the hospital that Dudley had taken had slightly scarred the boy and he had dropped his bullying ways like a hot coal. He wasn't exactly nice, per say… he was still a spoiled and somewhat nasty child but he no longer shoved Raenef around like a rag doll and because the behavior had stopped from Dudley, his friends had ceased as well. They weren't friends, not at all… But they had a truce of sorts that had held for three and a half years.

Raenef blinked as he lazed around in bed. Today was his birthday, and like the last few years he was sure that his friends, Chris's adoptive father and his Aunt had cooked something up for him. For some reason, the woman had been warming up considerably to him as he got older and older and it always seemed like she was on the lookout for _something_. Raenef didn't know what that something was but whatever it is, she found the lack of it pleasing.

She had given him his first real present on his 8th birthday. A lot of new clothes that were just for him with plenty of room to grow in—Raenef had treasured those clothes. It was on that same day that he had asked her to call him 'Raenef' instead of 'Harry' because it was a name that he was more comfortable with. He had grown out of the name 'Harry' when he started to come to grips with his future responsibility as a Demon Lord. And even though he still acted like a child didn't mean that he couldn't understand what the future had in store.

On his ninth birthday, Dudley had even given him a gift. Or, really it was a gift that he had gotten bored of but decided to give to Raenef. It was a bit beat up, but the old Game boy worked just fine along with the handful of cartridges for the games. That had been Raenef's first electronic toy.

These recent happy birthdays had brought an expectation for each one to be happy and Raenef closed his eyes and hummed to himself, a smile stretching along his face as he basked in the feeling of warmth. He couldn't get enough of this, this feeling of being loved and cared for. It was as if his life force was built on it and the more love he got the stronger he felt…

But most of all… Raenef turned his head to the side and looked up at Eclipse from where the other stood at his head. Most of all… Eclipse was always by his side. His insecurities had been wiped away years ago and he trusted Eclipse to never leave him. Not in his long, long life—he expected Eclipse to remain where he was for the rest of their lives.

"Raenef, happy birthday." He said simply and Raenef smiled and ran his hands over the other's ears as he murmured a sleepy thanks.

When he had been eight, almost nine, his Aunt had stumbled upon Eclipse when Raenef had been at school. And yes, she had grounded him (he hadn't been able to see Erutis or Chris for a week outside of school!) for keeping a cat in the house without telling her. And she told him that he had been lucky it wasn't a dog since Dudley was allergic to them, as was his Uncle.

It took a bit of pleading to convince his Aunt that Eclipse should stay. He even had to divulge just how long that he had been around and how he had been taking excellent care of him and that he was well trained and everything! Eclipse had been put on a three month probation before being officially accepted in to the house by his Aunt. It gave the demon advisor a lot more freedom to move around the house and even his Uncle seemed to like him and Dudley always took great care not to be rough with them.

Raenef slowly sat up in bed and stretched his arms over his head and marveled over summer vacation as he marveled over the changes his family had made over the years.

They were his family now, no longer his 'relatives' simply because they showed a lot more care and love for him then they had in the beginning when they had considered him a 'burden'. As he had grown older and grew in to a 'proper child', the more love was given and Raenef basked in it. His Aunt had accepted his name change with a surprising ease, and was even considering, in a few years, to help him make it a legal change so that the 'Harry' of his name would be erased forever.

It was tentative… but Raenef hoped that maybe, when he got his name changed in the future… that his Aunt would offer the Dursley name in a replacement of the Potter one that he held. It would be the final thing that would bring him fully in to the family.

Raenef moved and left his bed, taking a moment to stretch after he stood up. Eclipse moved and laid down on the bed where Raenef had vacated and waited for the other to get changed. Raenef straightened out his pajamas which had twisted in sleep before he moved over to the outfit that lay on his desk. He had picked it out the day before so he wouldn't have to fuss over it.

Pulling on some jeans and a simple white and blue striped shirt, Raenef moved and stepped out of his bedroom and held the door open for Eclipse without bothering to make his bed. This one day out of the year was the day that he allowed himself to feel spoiled and didn't do a thing to help around the house. His Aunt had only encouraged the behavior, as long as it was just for one day because she did need a helper for around the house and didn't want Dudley to be the one helping. As much as she loved her son, he was terrible when the house was concerned, taking after his father.

Raenef followed the smell of food down the hall, the door to his cousin's room opening and the pajama clad, chubby boy stepped out of the room. Dudley had changed a lot, Harry marveled at it absently. While the boy wasn't thin, or even fit, he wasn't so morbidly obese anymore. There were still some rolls and the boy still wasn't thin enough to be considered healthy but he sure had made an improvement where his health was concerned. Raenef was sure that if his Aunt took the boy off his snacks for a while, he'd straighten up real quick… but Dudley did love his snacks.

As long as the other was making improvements, Raenef supposed it was all right. Dudley sleepily murmured a happy birthday as he joined his cousin in following Eclipse. They both took care moving down the stairs before heading in to the kitchen. Raenef could see his Aunt at the stove, but today he didn't move to help and he joined Dudley and his Uncle at the table. His Uncle grumbled a hello from behind the paper, taking a moment to glance to Raenef before turning back to what he was reading. Raenef smiled and thanked him, much as he had thanked Dudley for the sentiment on the way down.

Soon, his Aunt laid out a proper English breakfast down on the table in front of them all, getting thanks for all of her hard work before everyone dug in. Scrambled eggs, bacon, tea, an English muffin and one piece of sausage complimented with a glass of milk—Raenef gushed over his breakfast and ate with gusto. His Aunt took the time to open a bit of canned cat food and placed it in Eclipse's dish on the counter for him.

Eclipse had admitted that the cat food wasn't bad for his body at the current moment, so he didn't refuse the expensive food that she bought him. Raenef never brought up that subject again and he didn't think Eclipse would want to be reminded of it when he got his body back. As they all eat their breakfast, his Aunt started to speak.

"Raenef, dear, this year its been decided that we're not going to hold the party here." The last few years since his birthday had started to become something to be celebrated, it had always been held inside the living room. So Raenef just blinked and slowly nodded, silently asking at what she was getting at. A small smile crossed her face as she added, "it's a surprise, though." She held a finger in front of her lips for a moment before sipping on her tea.

Raenef paused before he pouted a little bit but didn't question the decision. Now he started to bounce in his seat as he wondered where exactly, his party was going to take place. Maybe at Chris's house? He had such a big house that Raenef wouldn't be surprised if he had offered, or Chris's dad had offered. Erutis and her family lived in an apartment so he didn't think it would be held there. He hadn't been there himself but Chris had, and the boy went on for days how small the place was.

He took a moment to reminisce on the tomboy that he had befriended. Erutis was thirteen and a half now, far older then him and Chris who were simply ten (well, Chris was ten plus a few weeks). She had become something like a personal bodyguard for Chris and himself. None of the adults seemed to mind that she always carried this metal baseball bat wherever she went. No one had questioned her, although she had been warned from actually hitting other kids when a pushy boy tried to make Raenef go down the slide to clear away the water that was on it after a rain. Of course, that boy apologized when she did and now they got along famously, Arnold and the rest of the group.

Still, there weren't many places to hold a birthday party… Raenef finished up his breakfast just a bit before Dudley did and Aunt Petunia quickly ushered the boys upstairs to make them ready for the party. Raenef was followed by Eclipse as he went up and dug around for his trainers and socks in his wardrobe. It was warm, so he didn't think he needed a coat. Once ready, Raenef headed downstairs and sat down next to the front door with Eclipse in his lap.

Soon, his Uncle, who had indeed lost at least a stone of weight since the change in portions Petunia had secretly made (they still hadn't found out about the plate sizes, but she had already disposed of the old ones so they couldn't compare) lumbered in to the hall, wearing an older suit that hadn't fit him for seven years. Raenef thought he was happier without the weight that he had already lost and the happier his Uncle was, the happier Raenef would be because the man would be in a happier mood.

Uncle Vernon opened the front door and headed out to the car. Dudley quickly ran down the stairs (Petunia reprimanded him from the kitchen for running) and quickly rushed out the door after his father. Raenef stood and waited for his Aunt by the front door and only stepped out once she stepped in to the hall. Carrying Eclipse in his arms, Raenef got in to the back of the car that Uncle Vernon had unlocked for them. Petunia locked up the front door before heading to the car, a large white bag in her arms as she took a seat in the front of the car.

Dudley bounced excitedly from where he sat next to Raenef, and the birthday boy let out a soft laugh as he buckled up and let Eclipse move to lie down on the seat between them. This was what family felt like, this was what he had longed for, longed for a very long time. Eclipse was with him, his aunt, uncle and cousin… now, he was going to go see his friends, he was pretty sure.

He couldn't wait. This was going to be the best birthday party ever.

* * *

The community pool in Chris's community had been rented out to their group for a few hours to have their party. The tennis courts and the sandbox and play area next to them weren't reserved for them but they could go there anyway. When Petunia pulled out some green swimming trunks out for him, Raenef had been ecstatic.

He was going to learn to swim!

Raenef grinned to himself as he stood at the shallowest edge of the pool, the water still reached his neck but at least he had somewhere to stand. He sat back for a moment and watched everyone else. His Aunt and Uncle were sunbathing off to the side in the cloth and metal poolside chairs. They seemed to be having fun in their own boring, adult way.

Chris's father, Hejem, was by the grill cooking with another parent nearby whom Raenef didn't really know. There were a few kids from class that he had tentative friendships with, thanks to Chris and maybe a bit to Dudley. Once Dudley had dropped the bullying he had actually made some friends… some, as in 'not very many'. Since Dudley's birthday hadn't occurred more then a week ago, the pudgy boy wasn't kicking up a fuss with not being the center of attention.

That and Raenef supposed the spoiled boy was being so docile because for one, Raenef wasn't getting more presents then him and two, because he was actually having fun. Dudley could swim, if nothing else and he was lording it a bit above the others. Sneak attacking anyone he could with a soft spray water gun. He had already gotten Raenef twice and Chris once. Of course, when he had gotten Chris the boy had pounced and held on. They flailed together till someone's mum pulled them apart.

Erutis was the only child that remained… well, she hadn't been attacked by Dudley or splashed by anyone.

She was also the only girl there, and also the oldest amongst the children. Erutis was thirteen and wearing a dark green bikini. She had gone red and threatened everyone with her metal bat when she arrived because of her embarrassment, but it looked like she wanted to wear it. Raenef shook his head and looked around at the mingling adults in the pool again.

Everyone was so happy, it was great to just be able to sit back and watch everyone. Raenef didn't get much time to sit back for long because Erutis and Chris shimmied up to either side and grabbed his arms.

"What are you doing, just sitting here?"

"We're going to play Marco Polo, and you're it 'cause it's your birthday." They laughed and Raenef warily got used to the deeper water but still followed willingly to the deeper part of the pool as Erutis chattered out the rules for the game. Everyone was waiting for him and while he felt a bit shy for holding the game back, he felt warm.

He was wanted, and their was nothing better in the world…

Looking to his far left to one of the benches off to the side, he spotted Eclipse snoozing under it. Raenef grinned and threw himself in to the game.

* * *

Raenef blew out the candles and made his wish with a smile. His Aunt hummed over her shoulder before she had him hold on to the plastic knife together with her and he helped to stay cutting the cake in to pieces for everyone at the party.

He made sure to give Erutis and Chris the biggest pieces that he made and if anyone noticed they didn't say a thing.

* * *

Raenef sat amongst his nest of blankets and pillows from the bed that he would be using for the night. He was being allowed to sleep over at Chris's house and Hejem had gotten a room up and ready for three beds. Erutis was spending the night too, even though she had whined about having to share her 'Rae-rae' with Chris. They had bickered a little but it hadn't turned in to anything serious.

Erutis and Chris's relationship had changed over the years. At first they had seriously hated each other to the point where they had fallen to blows but the more time they had spent together, the more that fighting turned to merely bickering, and from there it just turned in to play fighting. It might have been his fault, Raenef reflected, since he had started to just cry when they fought to make them stop.

They were his best friends in the whole world, they shouldn't be fighting and Raenef wouldn't allow them to.

That reminded him… Raenef reached out to his side and ran his hand down Eclipse's back. The cat arched his back and made a cat noise of appreciation. Raenef had decided that he was going to show his ultimate form of trust to his friends, his best friends, and he would tell them what he was. He was going to grow slower then they would either way, and his education was suffering over the lack of time he actually got to spend with Eclipse. Alone, that is. He hadn't learned much in the past three years compared to before, but now that he was more mature then seven year old he should be able to learn more and faster.

He wondered how Chris would take it, when he told them in the morning. He had been obsessing over demons for a long time with a tone that Raenef couldn't quite understand and Eclipse had said that Hejem had already spoken to him, mentioning that their names had given them away. Eclipse had supplied the man with the information and he had taken it well, for a human who happened to be the head of the Rased religion.

Raenef wiggled his toes and watched Erutis and Chris 'fight' over who would be the one to sit next to him when Hejem came in to read them all a story. It was already given that Eclipse would get his side, the loser would have to sit on the floor or next to the cat.

"I won't lose to you!" Chris brandished his new metal bat like a sword.

Erutis twirled her metal bat with a grin befitting that of a thirteen year old.

They all had metal bats now, one of the adults at the part and commented on it, and mentioned that they should have a name for their little group. Chris had suggested 'Bat Brigade' or 'B.B.' for short. Erutis and just shoved him in to the pool for that and denied the name. Raenef liked it though (much to Chris's joy).

They clashed and Raenef leaned forward to watch. Was this what it felt like for the Emperor of Rome?

Chris tossed his bat away shortly, more clumsy then good with it and he instead dived for Erutis and brought her down to a wrestling match. Chris forgot one crucial thing about this, though. Erutis was bigger. She had him pinned in a moment and she threatened to sit on his face unless he gave.

Hejem walked in on Chris screaming "I give! I give up!"

Eclipse snorted and covered the sound up with a cat sneeze and a yowl.

"I get to sit next to Rae!" Erutis squealed as she clambered on to Raenef's bed of too many fluffy sheets and pillows. Raenef had ended up picking the bed that Hejem had originally designed for Erutis, but no one was bothered with it and Raenef liked fluffy things. Chris and Erutis hadn't picked their beds yet and Raenef had a bed off to the far right so he imagined that they would fight over it again and that Chris would lose… again.

Erutis wrapped her arms around Raenef with a hum and rubbed their faces together. Raenef squirmed as the treatment but quickly gave in, letting her hug and cling as she wished. Hejem cleared his throat as Chris sulked his way over to sitting next to Eclipse. Hejem pulled over a chair and sat at the end of the bed before he opened the thick book that was under his arm.

Raenef allowed himself to lean in to Erutis's side as Eclipse crawled in to his lap to make room for Chris. The cleric in training scooted over to Raenef's side and they all turned their attention to the man who started to read the story.

"It is said that when the Earth started to die, the gods and goddesses gave the Earth a being to sacrifice to bring the planet back in to order, and "Terra" was sealed within the land. With her, the Earth started to heal itself and recovered from its near death experience. But the Magician who had sealed her and who was meant to watch over her internment fell in love with her. It was said that he loved her so that he freed her from her imprisonment at the Earth's core so that they could run away together." Raenef felt Erutis coo faintly under her breath.

"But because she had been freed, her connection to the earth shriveled and without her there to give the planet energy, the world started to die once again. The oceans began to dry up and the polar caps started to melt and the world was encompassed with such a shriveling heat…"

Raenef closed his eyes and imagined it. A world that was only desert. Humans would adapt, they always did. But he silently mourned for the plant life and for the creatures that wouldn't be able to adapt. In a world of eternal desert, Raenef wouldn't know what to think if that happened. Hejem continued, "in this world, a Wizard was given a mission to find the missing Goddess. It took him years of countless research and spells before he determined her location. After doing so, he bought a guide to lead him to where he needed to go."

A Wizard, huh. Eclipse had faintly mentioned wizards, weak little things. He scratched Eclipse's ears and did his best to fashion a hero behind his eyes. The man would be… tall, with dark hair and sunglasses for the dessert. And he'd wear light and dark clothes because he had magic to help stop the heat from getting to him. He should be tall and strong. Raenef imagined his hair to be longer and likened him to an image he normally reserved for Eclipse.

"The guide, with no considerable power whatsoever, led the way through the desert and ruins to lead the Wizard to where he wanted to go, chatting all the while. It took a week before the guide worked up the courage to ask the Wizard if he was going to seal Terra back in to the earth."

"The Wizard nodded and the guide wanted to know if the Wizard felt sorry that he would have to do that. Because she had escaped for love…" Raenef stifled a yawn but he couldn't keep any attention to the story as he started to drift. He vaguely registered that the story wound out that the guide had been Terra all along, she had eaten the magician who had freed her out of love so she could survive and live in the world.

And in the end, the wizard felt sorry after all, hadn't he?

Wizards were notorious for their mistakes and regrets, after all.

* * *

Raenef knew he was dreaming, he clearly remembered going to sleep in a bed with Eclipse at his side so the only look he gave to the forest and the fog that was around himself was a bemused, unconcerned look. Dreams were dreams and in the grand scheme of things the weren't something he paid mind to. So Raenef rolled his shoulders and picked a direction to walk in as he looked around.

The trees were bare of everything and anything—dark, twisted branches curled around each other and reached up with their grasping fingers to the grey sky that was above. Raenef glanced up at the sky once before it lost his interest. His eyes went to the ground, and then to the clothes he was wearing. This wasn't something he had worn before, but something he had seen in the history books that Eclipse was able to supply.

Picking at his shirt, Raenef inspected his clothes as he slowed down to a stop. He had on a high collared, knee length white shirt that had no sleeves and it was split at the waist. Underneath (he checked) he had on some black shorts that ended just a little bit above the knees. Raenef took a moment to tighten the black belt around his waist so that it just didn't hang and he adjusted the black sleeves on his arms that weren't connected to his shirt. He even had some black boots that reached to his mid-shin. This outfit was some bastardized version of Raenef the V's that he saw in the history book.

Tugging at the soft, comfortable clothes for a moment, Raenef looked around and wasn't too surprised to find the trees gone even though when he had looked down they had been surrounding him. Letting his arms hang at his side, Raenef continued on in his dream until all that existed was the ground under his feet, the fog and himself.

It seemed to take ages before a castle emerged from the fog. Large, white walls of the castle seemed to merge in with the fog and Raenef wasn't able to tell just how big this castle was. But that didn't stop him from pushing open the black marble doors and entering the halls. The small heels of his boots were soon tapping on the black marble floor as he moved along slowly.

He didn't know why he was moving. Really, he wasn't even thinking about it. All he felt was a pull that was only now noticeable. That he was only now able to tell was pulling him inside the castle and toward one of the rooms therein. An itch had appeared in the middle of Raenef's shoulder blades and Raenef was starting to feel and understand that something was off here. Something wasn't right and because that something wasn't right that meant that something dangerous was occurring. Raenef's hands raised up and caressed his hidden through—a nervous habit ever since that attack three and a half years ago. Whenever he felt this… endangered, he always touched it.

The pull wasn't so insistent when he stopped outside of an open doorway. Raenef gave himself a moment, staring down at his feet before he stepped in to the room, body tense as he understood just how alone he was in here. This couldn't possibly be a dream anymore. Something was off, too off…

The room was a large study, generously decorated for comfort with lush, gold and crimson felts and drapes that hung from the ceiling to the floor that hid the bookcases from sight. Pillows were tossed here and there in similar colors and the only part of the room that wasn't draped over with a soft cloth was the balcony area and the doorway to it. And standing in front of it, behind a large and busy desk stood a man.

No, that wasn't a man. Raenef sensed it deep in his soul now—this creature was just like him.

A Demon Lord.

The man shifted his broad shoulders and turned to finally face Raenef. Even though they were so far away, Raenef already had to tilt his head back to look up at the older demon. His long, curly orange-gold hair hung down his back in large, perfect curls. His bangs were stylized directly around his face to frame it. The light hair went well with the tanned skin and all of these deep colors emphasized the grey of his eyes, the same grey as the fog that surrounded the castle.

The dark orange trench coat he wore finished in two tails that swept the floor, the leather matching his boats in color and strength. Black, tight pants covered his legs and an expensive white shirt was glimpsed under the closed front of the trench coat, kept closed by elaborate gold colored threaded knots.

His lips pulled back in to a smile that was more predatory then nice, the two gold stars under his left eye moved with his skin. Raenef wasn't sure if they were a tattoo or not but he wasn't so concerned about it. Not only was he in another Lord's territory right now, but it was a lord that was unknown to him. Or, the fact of the matter stood that Eclipse hadn't yet breached the subject of foreign Demon Lords to him considering the unlikely chance he'd meet one before his welcoming party in to the High Society of Demon Lords.

Well, Raenef supposed that if something could go wrong around him, it would definitely happen at this point.

Raenef shifted awkwardly and waited, eyeing the cream colored cloak that the demon picked up from the desk and expertly draped over his shoulders and fastened it with a silver button. That predatory smile was on his face as he spot, "Greetings, Raenef the Seventh." Dropping his hands from the button that kept the cloak in his place, he threw out his arms and the cloak ballooned out around him as he looked down from Raenef from behind the desk.

"Greetings…" Raenef echoed as he tried to figure out just who this demon could possibly be. Just because Eclipse hadn't gotten in to it didn't mean that he didn't know a few names. Unfortunately this demon didn't seem the type to be serious or from the Americas (as the humans called it). Raenef trailed off, eyebrows pulling together as he tried to think. The demon looked amused, and maybe a bit insulted at the same time as he moved from around the desk.

He moved forward but didn't stop moved, he started to circle Raenef with the gleam of a vulture but with the grace of a swan. Raenef realized that he was outclassed at this point and shrank in to himself, intimidated. No wonder Eclipse didn't want him to have contact with the other Demon Lords or demons in general. They were overwhelming… and strong… and intimidating. A jolt of fear shook through his body as the demon continued to circle, inspecting and dissecting his unworthy form.

"So, the new Raenef…" The man murmured, amused.

Raenef frowned slightly, arms wrapping over his stomach, "what of it?" What was so amusing about him being the new Raenef? That was his name now, what was so funny about it?

The demon stepped up behind Raenef, leaning and towering over the young Demon Lord as he reached out and set a long fingered, elegant and deceptively monstrously strong hand on top of Raenef's head and pushed the boy's head down with ease as he spoke, "you're even more pathetic then the last one! He was a child too, when I met him. And he died as a child. I don't see how you'll last as long as he did." Dismissively, the demon pushed Raenef off to the side with barely any effort.

It didn't matter much because Raenef's body flew to the side of the room with the strength of the throw and landed shoulder first in to a bookcase. Raenef groaned and allowed himself to slide down to the floor on top of one of the velvet crimson drapes, furiously rubbing his bruised shoulder and working on making sure that the tears that had sprung up form the pain didn't fall down his face as he looked up at the approaching demon.

The demon only passed him for the cushy red armchair that was behind the desk and he sank down behind it. "I can tell right now that you're just another lost cause for Eclipse to work with." It sounded like he was laughing at him and Raenef felt anger and resentment building in his chest as he steadily got back on to his feet and approached the desk. Standing in front of it, Raenef tilted his head back and squared his shoulders, frowning to the other.

"Who are you." It wasn't a question, not really. It was a demand and an expectant statement as Raenef did his best to put himself on the same level as the other demon lord. Back straight and proud and expectant he waited for a name as he stood in front of the tall desk, finally on the same eye level as the other demon who was giving that predatory smirk again.

The demon chuckled, the dark sound sending a chill down Raenef's back. But he didn't back down and he kept his eyes locked on the demon sitting in the chair across the desk. The chuckles ceased as easily as they had appeared and he no longer looked amused. The regale demon tipped himself back and he looked down at Raenef then… "I am the Great Demon Lord Krayon of Egae…" The superior smirk wasn't something Raenef questioned the other of. He had no doubt that the other was physically stronger and just that much smarter then he was.

But Raenef wasn't to be underestimated. Was this some sort of test? Krayon was trying his best to provoke him as of the current moment. Krayon wanted something and Raenef didn't know what it was but he was sure if the other had brought him all the way here then it must be important. "Your name… its familiar." Raenef said and Krayon merely tilted his head to the side, curls tumbling and moving with the tilt of his head.

"Why did you bring me here?" That was the real question of the day. Raenef didn't know what the other wanted but doubted it would be good news on his part. It was his tenth birthday, couldn't he just finish it in peace and leave this trouble for when he officially entered the demon? Krayon would only have to wait six years for it, and considering how old that the demon lord across from him felt, Raenef didn't think six years would be long considering what he had already waited through in his lifetime.

Krayon was looking down at him again. "I wish to judge your worth." He supplied silkily, a devious smirk splitting his face as he laced his fingers together and settled his elbows on to the arm rests of his comfortable chair. "Eclipse is someone I have always desired to have as my advisor. His reputation at this point would considerably raise my own prestige and power." Krayon leaned forward and placed his elbows on to his desk and his chin was delicately placed on top of his folded hands.

"My offer has stood open to him for thousands of years, and as I have found the last Raenef unworthy… if I find that you are unworthy I will take your servant—"

"Eclipse_ isn't_ my servant! He is my best friend! My—" My _everything_—father, teacher, friend, family! Eclipse was his first everything. His anger had destroyed the fear that he felt in front of this superior demon. He clenched his small hands in to fists and pulled back his lips in a snarl (and be demon etiquette it was also considered an insult, which Krayon instantly noticed because he matched Raenef's snarl with his own). "I won't left you take Eclipse away!_ I'll kill you_!"

Krayon's hands slapped down on the desk and he jerked forward and leaned over the desk, face inches from Raenef's own as they stared each other down. Krayon willing the other to back down and Raenef unwilling to step back because Eclipse was the one on the line. Eclipse was meant to stay by his side forever and he wasn't going to let this curly haired fop of a demon lord steal away the person that mattered the most to him in the world!

"I'd like to see you try, weakling." The demon sneered. "You can't decide if you can keep your servant. You have to pass my tests to keep them… unless you're so weak that forfeiting would be easier…"

"I accept your challenge." Raenef hissed, "come at me with all you have, I won't lose Eclipse to someone as unworthy as you!"

"Ah, ah, ah…" Krayon cooed, a dark gleam in his eyes and he eased himself back and straightened up. "There is a consequence for this, you understand…"

"If you don't pass with flying colors, I'll never allow you to wake up again."

Raenef paused, "come again?" He frowned up at the other demon who just lazily smirked as he moved from around the desk with his predatory grace. "I said, I'll never allow you to wake up again if you fail to pass these tests now. Never."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Raenef snorted and placed his hands on to his hips and he stared up at the other. He wasn't backing down, at this point he couldn't back down. Something more precious then his own life was on the line and he'd rather rot in hell and never see his dead parents then let Eclipse leave him. All of these consequences just meant that he had better not lose. "Well, where are these tests you plan to put me through? I need to return, sooner rather then later."

"They've already started; chop, chop!" He laughed, "you fail and Eclipse is mine." With a muttered incantation after the reminder, Raenef disappeared from the study even as he stuck his tongue out at Krayon in defiance.

Krayon grinned and laughed, twirling once in his office, he felt assured in his victory. There was no way such an inexperienced child would win against him. He was practically glowing at finally being able to win the servant that he wanted most. Eclipse's knowledge would surely help him ascend the ranks of demon lords in to a power he had been aspiring to receive for years within his long life. With another incantation, he disappeared and the room returned to silence.

* * *

**A/N :** Alright, **the Terra story is official property of Soome Lee** and I got it from the back of the first Demon Diary book. Its copywritten material, just so everyone knows! And here you go, another chapter. I've recently fallen in to... a load of free time. I plan to use this time to finish the re-write and work on indenting Eyes of the Lost. I want to wrap this series up so I can focus on the other stories I've shot out there without too much thought. I've started Chapter 3 for The Lost Heart and chapter 2 for At Rest... but they may end up sitting for a while as I wrap up this rewrite. Either way, read and review and tell me what you think, etc... Its a bit shorter then the last chapter but hey, I'm moving things along.


	9. Dreamer Screamer—The First Test

**Chapter 9: Dreamer Screamer—The First Test**

_"Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape."_  
William S. Burroughs

* * *

Raenef dropped down out of the air several feet above the ground and instantly crumpled once he touched land. He laid on the ground for a few long moments as he withheld a moan of pain. Landing like that had hurt all over. Even though he had landed so harshly and awkwardly, he hadn't heard or felt anything break so he would be good to stand in a couple of minutes. Once everything's ache faded in to something imaginable.

Pressing his lips and eyes shut tightly, Raenef blocked out the world as he clutched at his left leg. He had landed the most heavily on this leg. It took a long while for the throb to ease and when it became manageable Raenef placed his hands on the ground with a tried sigh and opened his eyes.

It was only then that he noticed the shuffling.

Blinking, Raenef stared at the gnarled tree trunk ahead of himself. He glanced up at the tree and took a moment to wonder why he hadn't landed in any of the branches when a shadow crossed over him and something hit his back… like a foot. Raenef rolled his shoulders and turned to stare up at whatever was standing over him in a mounting horror.

The sight of the monster was not a disappointment to the fear. A large, vertical eye stood out of the headless monster's chest, a sickly yellow with dark green-black veins running over the eyes while the pupils were a vivid, angry red. Raenef felt like his own eyes were going to pop out of his head as he continued to stare and the creature's body. Deep red skin with a layer of charcoal and the smell of burned flesh soon permeated the area. The creature… the demon's long, gangly limbs stood out awkwardly from its body as if it wasn't very well balanced.

Instead of hands, shiny black talons had grown in its place, covered in blue veins and dripping in something. Raenef had seen these demons before in the doors that Eclipse had gotten. He didn't remember much more then a picture, not even their name and in his fear Raenef didn't register the creature's movements while he swore to study better to himself when he got home.

When he noticed the black talon descending, Raenef didn't think much about his reaction as he threw his hands up and toward the demon, "Dark Arrow!"

All he got was a puff of smoke and a claw that was jammed through his right hand. Raenef screamed and lurched and scrambled to his feet as he pulled his hand away from the claw with a twist and a wave of black and red blood. No need to stop the tears because there was no one but this monster to see them. He had his feet under him and his back to the tree and his partially mutilated hand pressed in to the material of his shirt.

No time to think, _no time to think_—the creature lurched and brought it's talons forward with a shrill, frenzied scream and Raenef realized that he couldn't rely on magic, it hadn't worked the first time. He dropped to his knees with a whimper, the harsh ground tearing at his knees as the creature's claws broke in to the dead tree. Raenef scrambled forward and through the gangly demon's scrawny and unproportional legs.

The demon continued to shriek, but Raenef was nowhere near able to pity the damn thing with its talons stuck in the unforgiving tree. Raenef instead turned about and laid a kick to where it's ass was supposed to be. Raenef continued to do so for a few minutes, this demon was stuck and dishing out a bit of anger and pain was really helping the feeling of helplessness. Raenef tried to do a bit more magic but all he got was smoke.

Eventually, Raenef stepped away from the struggling thing, panting and clutching his hand. He firmly kept his eyes away from his right hand and just pulled down the black sleeve on his right arm to cover and put pressure on the hand. The pain was intense and blinding and Raenef nearly passed out from it every time he even thought to move one of his fingers. Moaning to himself, Raenef looked around the clearing through his tears and nearly felt his heart leap out of his mouth.

There were more of them, shuffling forward toward him out from the trees. Raenef's mouth dropped open as he stumbled backwards. He stopped the stumbling and looked behind himself to once again spot more of the demons. With a terrified scream, he took off to the right, pumping his short legs and swinging his shoulders as he sprinted away. He just had to get away, he could fight these things injured and weaponless.

They weren't one to give up the hunt, because he soon heard them following him.

Raenef sobbed and barely dodged the trees through his tears and tried to ignore the feeling of invisible fingers tightening around his throat. He didn't want to die! He didn't want to… _he didn't want_!

"Eclipse…" Raenef mewled out, even though he knew that saying his name wasn't going to help him.

There was no help for this. No magic. There was _no magic_…

* * *

Eclipse lifted his head when he heard his name fall from Raenef's mouth. Thinking that his charge was awake, the cat stood up from where he was tucked away next to Raenef's left knee and padded over toward his shoulder. Expecting to see open eyes, Eclipse was surprised to find them closed, even more so when there were tears storming down Raenef's face to go with his whimpers.

Glancing around the room to the other two beds that had the other children, Eclipse wasn't so surprised that they hadn't awoken from the noise Raenef was making. Still, it was only a nightmare. Eclipse moved and settled down against Raenef's side, he fully expected for the boy to wake soon. And Raenef would need comfort, just like how it had been once the other had gotten home from the hospital after having almost been choked to death.

He sighed and nuzzled his head in to Raenef's shoulder and wondered if this would be the last Raenef he would have to mourn when he died or if this would continue on forever. It was a strange thought, Eclipse knew. And he knew that he really didn't mind it, he didn't mind the caring and the rearing of children who were to be groomed to be Demon Lords. He had learned from Raenef the Fifth how to deal with children when he was little more then a child himself.

He didn't mind raising and caring and taking them in as if they were his family.

It was just that their ends always seemed to take a chunk of his soul with them. The Raenef line had been cursed since the fourth Raenef took his end before the curse took him away. Eclipse didn't know why but the Raenef heirs always died young and before they ever had children. It was a line that always popped up out of nowhere amongst the demon lord's lands. Eclipse took a paw and absently swatted Raenef's arm.

Harry's arm—that had been Raenef's real name at one point and Eclipse wondered what he would have been like had he never been bestowed with his heritage. With the dark hair, pale skin and green eyes, Harry had looked more like the fourth Raenef then the fifth and sixth. Being the seventh one, it just always seemed off that Raenef… that Harry… was so different.

Eclipse closed his eyes and continued to wait for Raenef to wake up and continued to wonder…

He didn't want to lose this Raenef to an early grave like the others. Although the fourth had been more of a friend and companion then the fifth, which he had been more like a son to him. The sixth Raenef had been wiser in his own ways and was more of a student and friend then anything else. But now that he really looked at his relationship with Raenef the Seventh, he could see that they were all of that to Eclipse. Student and child and friend and companion—someone to beat away the loneliness and to care about him when all others were dead and gone or just forgotten, Raenef was all of these things to him and more and he could assume that Raenef held the same complex relationship in his own heart.

Raenef… Harry had been such a lonely child when they had first met, the youngest Raenef that Eclipse had found by far. But Raenef had grown to become someone else, someone better. Eclipse had watched the child grow and gain friends and live and have more people join his family. Even the relatives who hadn't cared much at all had eventually accepted him in to their fold, at least for the most part. There still might be some distance, but… but it was a family that would continue to grow.

Eclipse nurtured the ball of happiness and contentment inside himself. This was how life was supposed to be lived, wasn't it? Eclipse would know, his life had been very, very long. He didn't know many demons who had survived through the times such as he had and he could only name two off the top of his head (and he pretty much despised them). But cherishing those you loved and taking time to listen and play and enjoy, this was how they were supposed to live and Eclipse almost wished he had known this earlier on in his life.

Then maybe there wouldn't be so many regrets.

Raising his head, Eclipse frowned and looked to Raenef's face and watched the tears continued. Why wasn't he waking up? Raenef was always so quick to wake up from nightmares, this Raenef had always been, in any case.

So… why wasn't he waking up?

* * *

Breathing was getting heard and the tears wouldn't stop. That explained why—the fuzzy tear vision—Raenef lost his footing and tripped over another too large gnarled root and fell in to a dried out river bed and landed on his right hand. His vision went black for a moment but when his eyes cleared he was on his face and some ringing was so loud in his ears, louder then his heartbeat.

Ignoring the growing list of hurts, Raenef scrambled up, using his left hand to claw in to the dirt to help himself up. Raenef didn't bother to try and climb out of the somewhat steep riverbed. Instead, he just ran down it, his boots protecting his feet from sharp and smooth river rocks alike and he was trying to be careful not to trip and fall because these rocks could do damage.

The panic wasn't helping him, he could hear the demons, and he could always hear them now, following after. They were sliding down into the riverbed even as Raenef continued to run down it. The river was getting shallower and shallower as he ran along and pretty soon he took a running leap (he was already running) and just jumped back on to land and soon went in the opposite direction of the riverbed and hoped that the creatures would stop chasing him.

His mouth was so dry and his throat hurt so much. Coughing to himself, Raenef continued t run and wondered when his heart would give out, it hurt so much it felt like it would beat itself right out of his chest. Hiding his right hand against his stomach, Raenef flailed out his left hand as he ran, or hobbled, it was one of the other but it didn't matter because there was nowhere safe to go because he didn't know where he was. All he could do was run because he didn't want to die.

_Was this supposed to be a test?_ This had to be one of the tests in which he was betting Eclipse on—and he was already failing.

He had gotten himself in over his head.

What _had _he been thinking? Accepting the challenge of a _fully-grown_, _fully trained_ and _obviously powerful_ Demon Lord while he himself was so young and small and as much as it pained him to admit this, Raenef was weak. His training was often slow going and Eclipse truly didn't push him hard (a vague echo remembered that Eclipse had mentioned his body was still not mature enough for heavy spells) and even while he could not get angry over that, Raenef was still upset that he couldn't defend himself.

He hadn't not been able to defend himself since the attack three years ago—Raenef had been helpless then, just as he was helpless now. Moaning to himself, Raenef continued to run.

He dodged a tree and slowed to a stop (he shouldn't stop! Stopping was dangerous!) when he found that the ground ended in a sharp downturn hill. Panting harshly, Raenef stared at the near abrupt end of land and the near vertical drop of the hill. He couldn't just stand here, though. The demons were coming and he could hear them hitting the branches of trees.

But the end of land wasn't all that had caught his attention. There was a white mansion surrounded with live trees. It wasn't very big and the green was more grey then it should be but it definitely looked like sanctuary. With a single-minded determination, Raenef stepped forward and did his best to slide down the hill that would take him to the bottom and toward a place that may be sanctuary.

Maybe, just maybe he could find something to help himself in this place.

* * *

Raenef stared up at the large wooden doors of the building. He could feel the wards surrounding this place, but he couldn't really describe them. The doors were plain, undecorated and didn't draw much attention at all. But still, Raenef looked to them as if the secret to immortality laid just beyond those doors. He was shaking with exhaustion, harsh breaths too loud in the air but he didn't bother to stifle himself. The wards were powerful and he imagined that this place was designed to keep those monsters away.

His right hand throbbed and he reached out with his shaking, dirty left hand and used his whole body to tug the unbelievably heavy door. He opened it just a crack, but once there was room Raenef slipped inside the building and pulled the door shut again.

Letting out a large breath of air, Raenef pressed his face against the door and just breathed for a moment. Closing his eyes and just focusing on being alive. On breathing—in and out, in and out. Raenef didn't open his eyes till he was breathing normally and only then did he let the tension fully leak from his back. Stuffing back a whimper, it was a long time before he did open his eyes and when he did his vision was still watery.

Raenef frowned when he realized that he didn't have his glasses. Raising his left hand, he brushed his fingers across his face inquisitively. He needed his glasses, Eclipse had said so, he would need them until he hit puberty. But at the moment, he could see perfectly without them, or he could see perfectly past the teary vision he held with his eyes.

Turning his eyes to look at the entrance hall around him, Raenef didn't find the plain decorations appealing, but neither had he ever found overdone ornaments exciting either. The ghostly pale floors and walls were made from some type of stone he didn't know while the ceiling wasn't even visible from the ground. There were large doorways along the hall before a giant staircase appeared.

But Raenef didn't pay that much attention at all, the first doorway to the left had light flowing through it. Wary, but desperate, Raenef edged his way toward the light was. He hugged the wall that the doorway was in and scuttled along, peeking in to the other room as discretely as he could when trying to ignore his arm.

The moment he peaked in to the room, warm, pale hands gently grabbed hold of Raenef's pasty sick face and he jerked at the contact. The hands didn't let go and Raenef's eyes inevitably ran up to the woman's eyes.

She looked blind, that was Raenef's first impression, or she would have looked blind if it didn't look like she was looking through your soul with her solid colored dark eyes. A perfectly oval face where the only bit of make up came from the dark red of her lips—Raenef didn't have much concept for beauty, but he could tell that this woman was breathtaking with her perfectly done, floor length dark hair that fell about her in curls to her dark purple grown that hugged and flowed and the rubies and amethyst and topaz that dotted her dress seemed meager in comparison to just how she stood.

Her painted lips pulled back in to a curling smile and Raenef felt a chill run down his spine as his eyes widened even more and he started to shake. There was something disturbing and something wrong with this one. And he had walked right in to her home.

He could hardly focus on his surroundings as she drew him by the fact in to the lighted room. The fairy lights that hung in the air cast the room in a soft white glow that only seemed to add to her ethereal quality.

"Who… what…" Raenef gapped dryly, hardly recognizing his own voice but truthfully more concerned about finding out what he was facing now.

That dark smile on her face and her perfect, hooded eyes weren't comforting at all. "I am…" Her voice curled and seemed to find some niche in his chest and curdled there and Raenef shivered—from her slippery, knowing voice or from his pains, he hardly knew at this point. Her knowing eyes and knowing smile, Raenef almost wished he was back with the monsters. Almost, his hand throbbed to the syllables of that word. "I am the only… the unquestionable and the Great Demon Seer Meruhesae." Her voice was laced and dark with something Raenef couldn't name.

This was a fear of a different kind.

"Why… how…?"

"I will need compensation, Raenef the VII." She intoned, her warm hands leaving his pasty face as she straightened her elegant body and with a simple flick of a wrist she held a silk covered metal fan in front of his face and waved it slightly as her dark eyes stared down at him. Raenef felt like an insect under her gaze and didn't doubt his inferiority compared to this demon in front of himself.

She need not strike or threaten him, there was a gap in power between them that needn't ever be questioned. It simply was, and that was all there was to be said.

"What do you consider… compensation?" Raenef hesitated to ask, but he had to ask all the same. Those cool, indifferent eyes seemed to spark in amusement at his question but without really being able to see her face he was truly left in the dark about any of the other emotions that could be sparking there. It was difficult to swallow, to breath, but somehow Raenef seemed to manage as he waited.

She closed her fan with a snap, causing Raenef to flinch from the loud noise. She leaned forward and tapped the edge of her sharp fan against her left cheek, under her left eye, some dark amusement curled on to her face as she said, "give us a kiss, right here." She showed no shame in asking, but even then it looked like she was laughing at him.

It took a long moment to decide that she wasn't making fun of him. But even then, Raenef hesitated and stared at the woman. She patiently remained leant over till Raenef moved and pressed a kiss exactly where she had pointed. It was a short press and Raenef quickly stepped back and out of her arm range after the act—he hadn't truly met any powerful demons outside of Eclipse until he had met Krayon.

Krayon had not left a good impression and Raenef was leery about getting the same treatment.

The look on Meruhesae's face was unreadable, and it remained unreadable as her fan flipped open once again as she stood up clearly. She waited a long moment before holding out her hand. Raenef stared at her for a moment, clearly uncomprehending. Meruhesae let out a small sigh and ignored another flinch. "Your injured hand, let me see."

Raenef frowned before he looked down. The trail of blood was something new, he hadn't excepted that. The sleeve he had pulled down over his torn hand had soaked through and heavy drops were landing on the floor, creating a small puddle at his side. With a closed mouth whimper, Raenef wavered slightly on his feet as he slowly raised his hand and offered the covered appendage to the seer. She let go of her fan, reaching out and grabbing high on his arm; her fan had remained in the air, although it had floated away now.

She pulled Raenef along and by then Raenef found that he had gained a sudden hyperawareness for his arm. He didn't bother to stop the tears or the whimpers. His hand hurt so, so much. He all but collapsed on to a carpet when Meruhesae moved him to sit. He was by a fireplace, the sudden heat brought a little bit of color back to his face, but he was having trouble focusing…

Picking up a dagger that had been sitting on a long piece of leather, Meruhesae set out Raenef's arm and made careful work of cutting the sleeve off of his arm. As she worked, Meruhesae's voice weaved gently in the air and Raenef had no choice but to listen as he continued to watch more and more of his arm gently brought back to the light.

"I have… taken an interest in the Raenef bloodline for many generations." She soothed the air when she spoke, a distant realization. Either that or the air around her was so wild in anticipation for her words that it stilled so her voice could carry beyond where it normally would. Maybe if the circumstances were different, Raenef would have asked about the unknown anomaly, maybe if things were different then he wouldn't be injured and scared out of his mind… if circumstances were different, he wouldn't be under the mercy of unknown demons…

"Many visions of you, especially, have crossed my eyes." Her lidded eyes focused on Raenef's face for a moment, tracing his features as if there was some fault to his appearance. She paused, her knife poised in the cloth of Raenef's sleeve where the blood had started to soak through. "There are many things that you cannot know till due time." That smile of hers was… cruel.

"And I know that you desire assistance." The knife slowly moved to cut more and more cloth, showing bloodied skin underneath. "I know that you require… aid. To get as far as you will go."

Her eyes seemed to glow. "Not as far as you can… as far as you will." She paused and brushed his face with her warm, fragrant fingers and Raenef caught a whiff of lily of the valley as Raenef watched in a rapt attention as his pale are was revealed little by little before the wound was open for the entire world to see. "Little Lord that you are… you are a child destined for misery."

Raenef lost consciousness when he saw that the claw that had jabbed him was still imbedded in to the center of his hand and in to his wrist.

And it was still _wiggling_.

* * *

Eclipse was near to having a fit as he watched Raenef's face pale further, he was coming to be on par with the sheets. He had left for only a moment, but it was in that moment that Raenef had gotten so pale. Hissing angrily, his fur was in disarray as he stared down at his charge's face.

Hejem was quiet, but not quiet enough as he stepped up to stand by Raenef's bed. He reached out and brushed the boy's dark hair back and touched his forehead, checking for temperature. Eclipse already knew that the child was fevered, he didn't need to touch him to tell. Hejem let his hands drop down to his side before he looked down to Eclipse. Aged lips turned down in to a worried frown before he stepped away, "I'll move the children away, in case something… demonic, happens."

His tone was neutral, for the most part. Eclipse took no offense and let the man do as he wished, moving Chris and Erutis from the room. Eclipse sighed and pressed a paw against Raenef's face and wished he was anything but what he was now. He felt like crying in frustration, the burn existed but there were no tears. He could not tell what was wrong and it was hurting his Lord.

The tears on his face were a clear sign that something was wrong.

Raenef let out a moan of pain and his body shuddered and for a moment, Eclipse found he couldn't breath.

Experience and age allowed him to name his emotion without much thought.

_Fear._

He was afraid.

He was helpless to do anything.

He could do nothing.

Eclipse's eyes didn't move from Raenef's face for the rest of the night and the morning to come.

_He could only wait…_

And let the sands of time slip by.

* * *

Raenef awoke with his head placed delicately on top of Meruhesae's lap and his injured arm wrapped tightly in bandages. A strange humming that had filled the air stopped and Raenef shakily moved the fingers of his right hand. He quickly stopped with a grimace of pain. Even though his hand felt tight, too tight… he wasn't tempted to feel pain anymore.

Slowly shifting, Raenef pulled away from Meruhesae's lap and looked around. He was in the same room, right next to the warm fireplace and that knife and his sleeve and that claw were sitting so innocently next to him.

Raenef turned away in a near violent motion and dry heaved.

Meruhesae said nothing, but neither did she offer comfort. Her fan was back in her hands and she was staring in to the fire as if it held some form of secrets that would bring the world to a second Ragnarök. It took a long moment before Raenef was done trying to heave an empty stomach and an even longer moment before he was sitting up again. Raenef didn't turn at all to face the fire again.

Which was why he didn't see the bitter smile that crossed her face as she closed her eyes. Meruhesae kept the silent for some time longer before she knew that she could no longer keep the Little Lord within her sanctuary. It was time for him to put his damaged body to use and go as far as he was willing to go. Letting out another sigh, she knew she had his attention regardless to the fact that they were facing clear opposite directions.

"There is a power inside of you… that you will uncover when the time is right." She finally spoke, eyes on the fire once again as she remembered the scene that plagued her vision not more then a few days ago. "It is… a strange power." Raenef's body shook like a leaf for a moment before he got the tremors under his control.

His voice was soft as he spoke, "a strange power won't help me survive against those demons." Nodded her head, Meruhesae concurred. "Of course… of course." He closed her fan with a snap and tapped the tip against her chin as she paused.

"On the way out, I have decided to bestow a weapon onto you… for reassurance." Raenef moved as if to turn and look at her before stiffly turning his head a little to make sure he didn't look back.

"You may go now, Little Lord." Meruhesae spoke, pressing her hands together and holding on to herself. Raenef didn't turn to look to her as he left the pale room, but he heard her carrying voice in the hall as he headed back for the front door.

"Your three challenges… You are going to lose something… very dear in the end, something very dear." A cold fear swept through his body and Raenef lurched toward the door. Jammed in to the plain wood, blade first, was a black handled dagger with a red gem the size of his eye at the end of the handle. Raenef didn't think twice about wrenching it out of the door before he pulled the door open and slipped out.

All he could think about was Eclipse; Eclipse,_ Eclipse, Eclipseeclipseeclipse_…

Wearily watching the sanctuary fade in to the air and watching the trees all around him age and die it to black, twisted shadows wasn't something Raenef ever planned on doing again. His hands shook as he tightened his left hand around the dagger, holding the blade parallel to his arm as he stood in a small clearing and waited.

Eclipse was on the line.

Eclipse was someone he wasn't willing to lose.

Forcing the shaking to stop with s few well-placed breaths, Raenef was ready this time when the sounds of footsteps started to draw in around him once again.

But at the same time… he wasn't ready at all.

* * *

A wave of revulsion quickly passed through Raenef when he noticed that the demon that had stepped out of the fog around the small clearing was missing one of its talons. His arm throbbed and his lips pulled back in to a snarl and he raged as the demon spotted him and lurched forward with a yowl from nowhere.

Anything that wished to cause him, a Demon Lord, harm, must be _punished_.

Anything that actually harmed him must be _destroyed_…

Pressing his lips together, Raenef let instincts take hold.

…killed slowly, that is.

Raenef ducked as the demon swung both of his arms and talons forward, intending to either stab or grab him he cared for neither. He didn't fall to the ground but instead jammed his newfound dagger in to the creature's eye.

This revolting worm that belonged under his foot had hurt him. Had stuck one of its revolting, wiggling, moving body bards in to him and if the situation didn't call for continued stabbing then Raenef might have tried to dry heave again.

But the only thing he could think of was Eclipse and the Demon's lessons, the rules all Demon Lords should know if they wanted to have the respect their station called for. Hot, sticky black blood sprung on to his face and chest and the demon screamed and flung it's arms down as Raenef made the third stab and popped the creature's eye when he jerked the knife sideways.

The hit didn't land as Raenef quickly ducked through the demon's legs and shoved the dagger in to the demon's back. It didn't feel like he was stabbing another creature. There was something about the knife that made the stabbing so easy. Something special made the skin part as if it was butter and the dagger was glowing hot.

Raenef didn't bother to pull the knife out again. With his left hand firmly gripping the handle, Raenef pulled the knife quickly down the creature's back and let the knife move and pull out where the demon's ass was supposed to be. The enchantment had to be something that made the blade so sharp, that made it so… good.

The creature fell forward in a shrill, screaming mass and Raenef took no pity.

He crouched down and chopped it's arms off… and then it's legs… Raenef couldn't stop giggling as he watched the demon… the pathetic worm, start to squirm—Raenef's giggles turned to laughter as he watched the life leak out of his enemy. No, this creature wasn't even worth the title of 'enemy'.

_It was only an obstacle._

With the right tools, easily taken care off.

Reaching up, he wiped away the slick black blood from his eyes and pushed back stray bits of hair from his face. Raenef's eyes were bright and his grin was a snarl and he just kept laughing—no remorse, no regret, these creatures were undeserving to even bleed on him even if he was the one causing the bleeding.

He could hear more coming.

"L.. let them.. _ahaha.. ahaaa.._ let them come…" He spoke out loud between gasping laughter.

He had never killed anything before today. Eclipse had mentioned before that being what he was, he would no doubt run in to death and more often then not he would be the cause of it. Demon Lord didn't die to fodder.

Raenef shifted on his feet, and when he heard the squish, he looked down at the puddle of black blood that the creature lost. He stilled, unmindful of the approaching steps as he waited for the blood to still. What did he look like with this disgusting blood all over his face? His face stretched wide in a smile but he held in his giggles as he waited, the anticipation building in his giddy mind.

He couldn't look for very long, the smile and laughter were soon gone as he roughly kicked the puddle out of shape with a sob.

He didn't care who died.

He didn't care if he had to murder little one-eyed baby demons in their cribs if that meant that he would keep Eclipse. If it meant that he would soon have Eclipse at his side again, he'd do it. Wide eyes turned to the approaching footsteps and Raenef ignored the clawing desperation, ignored the tiny voice that screamed for magic and he waited. He needed to be calm, he needed to be cool… to be efficient.

He wanted Eclipse.

_He would win._

Because he needed Eclipse.

_And they would suffer._

Because they wanted to keep Eclipse from him.

_They wanted to take Eclipse from him and own him in his place._

With a viciousness that came inherently for demons and had been placated by the simple, loving life that he had been leading, Raenef fell on to his enemies. Tooth, nail, dagger—none of them were going to leave his sight alive.

His lack of strength was made up for the enchantment on the dagger, Talon or flesh or bone; it hardly mattered, his blade could make its way through all of it. His small size made it hard to hit him, made it easy for him to job and he was quick—in a close quarters brawl with four demons that hit each other more often then he was hit, Raenef felt no fear. He felt desperation and anxiety, but he felt no fear.

_Let them come, and I shall kill them._

The black blood that ran through their veins soon stained Raenef's body and coated him head to toe. The black blood hid his rapidly paling skin, and hid the new whiteness of his hair.

The dagger glowed.

It was pleased.

* * *

Raenef stood in a lake of blood and limbs and laughed.

"Was this your _test_? You curly haired little fop of a demon lord!" Raenef screamed in to the air, waving his dagger above his head. The rush of life or death hadn't left and he was giddy with it. _"Was this it?"_ His voice went high and cruel and he laughed, and the dagger laughed.

The dagger laughed and whispered_ 'more.'_

Raenef cheered and screamed and chanted "more!"

"More! _More! MORE!_"

* * *

Raenef laughed till he was gasping.

And he panted till he was falling. Landing awkwardly on his left arm, he hissed in slightly pain and involuntarily let go of the dagger his hand had once had a death grip on. Raenef's fingers curled over empty air for a moment or so as the giggles subsided in to nothing.

It was like his brain was becoming clear from a fog. Blinking owlishly at his surroundings, Raenef stared at the slow draining of the black blood lake and a shiver of horror passed over his body. He gasped and sat up, scrambled to his feet soon after he stood. The blood had seeped through everything and the icy air chilled him.

But the air didn't chill him so much as the knowledge that he had done this.

And he had _enjoyed_ it.

Turning pale green eyes to the dagger, Raenef locked his eyes on to the red glow of the dagger's hilt and stared at it. With measured steps he moved until he stood above it, staring down at the object. He seemed to stare at it for forever before the inviting twinkle of red begged to be picked up, to be examined. Raenef let a curious smile cross over his face as he bent forward, reaching out.

He threw himself backwards from the strangely inviting dagger with a scream.

He turned his back to the dagger and ran with no direction in mind and ran for his_ life_, his _sanity_.

It had taken over him, or at least brought something primitive up to the surface when he had held it within his hands. He ran from the knowledge that he had been so easily overthrown and his will so nearly and completely dominated by such a.. such a…

What had the Seer been thinking, so casually giving out such a weapon?

Raenef dry sobbed and ran on.

Soon, soon he'd have Eclipse to comfort him and soon he'd forget this ever happened and soon he would plot and plan the painful deaths of the Demon Lord Krayon and the Seer Meruhesae.

There would be no forgiveness for this. The throbbing of his arm said so.

No tears blurred his vision and he gasped for air.

_He would not forget._

_And he would never forgive._

_Not this._

_Never this.

* * *

_

**A/N:** So, has anyone noticed any changes? _' Ahahaa.. Drastic times call for drastic measures I guess. Thanks for the reviews, guys. Though I have to say that Olaf74.. your review was really flattering, and it inspired me to finish this chapter. I meant to get it done earlier, but I had a little bit of trouble. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I'll be working on getting the next few chapters up as quick as I can. I hope to be done with this and working on the sequal and other stories in a few weeks... hopefully.


	10. Not Real—The Second Test

**Chapter 10: Not Real—The Second Test**

_What happens to the wide-eyed observer when the window between reality and unreality breaks and the glass begins to fly? _  
~Author Unknown

* * *

Raenef was exhausted, almost like an itch that he was unable to reached because it was inside instead of outside. An itch that burned and twitched and wiggled—Raenef stuttered to a stop and pressed his left hand over his mouth and stopped the dry heave that nearly took over. Moaning to himself, he didn't bother to look to his bandaged hand. The memory of that… talon… finger… whatever it had been, it was so strong. So vivid, and his skin crawled and Raenef wanted to peel his skin away to rid himself of the feeling.

He was so tired though. The dreary landscape around him never changed. He wished he had bothered to look around more to his surroundings when he had been at the top of that large hill. But no, he had merely ran to the first thing he had seen and now even that was gone.

After fleeing the dagger, Raenef had just continued to move, to walk on and on. There was no end to this… place. If it even was a place, Raenef was questioning where exactly he was. He had to be out of his domain considering that he couldn't use his powers. Or, at least he couldn't use his powers without the incantations. Unfortunately he didn't honestly know the lengthy incantations. Or, he didn't know them to the point where he wanted to risk saying them. Raenef wasn't going to blow himself to bits just to try something.

But maybe if he was desperate.

Maybe.

The adrenalin had faded off to numbness, he couldn't really feel much anymore. His fears had dulled and if Raenef really dared to think of it, he could almost say he was getting used to his place with it's endless fog and twisted trees. He sighed and continued to stumble on. He needed to find the second test, he was assured already that those demon fodder worms were the first test so he needed to find what was next.

He needed to finish the last two tests and then he could go home. He would sleep with Eclipse in his arms after this disaster was over. He would get to hug and cuddle and pet; Raenef hardly cared if anyone saw the goofy look on his face. He would get Chris to hug him too, and Erutis, and his Aunt Petunia and he would convince Dudley to sneak him a large piece of cake at midnight and they would feast together.

The thought of food upset his delicate stomach, but Raenef was plotting for it all the same. He was going to indulge in comfort after this. He would indulge for a full solid week and do nothing but cuddle and eat and relax and play sick so his Aunt would flutter even more attention on him. Raenef rubbed his right forearm lightly as he came to a stop.

The landscape had changed.

Shaking his head to clear his daydreams out (or were they just dreams, was it even day?) and he took a good look around himself. The ground had turned flat, looking down at his feet as he shifted them, he watched a soft haze of dirt drift upward. Of course, with the loose topsoil moved Raenef could see the cracked ground underneath his feet. Suddenly the air was dryer and harder to take in and he was breathing faster just to get more oxygen.

Twisting his face in to a look full of distaste, Raenef looked at the treeless land ahead of himself. It didn't go on for forever, or if it did, Raenef couldn't see it going on in to forever because the fog had become so thick that it was cut off from his view.

Raenef waited a long moment before starting forward. He was going in to a place where he couldn't see too far ahead or around himself in any direction. He grew tense and he made sure to keep sharply out of his daydreams. It was hard, no; it was impossible to be anything but jumpy in this place that went on beyond where he could see.

Keeping his right arm tucked in to his body, Raenef trudged along.

It was a long time before he saw anything besides dust and fog.

* * *

The fog had receded a bit, at least enough so that he could see the area around him a bit more. He was on some kind of hard packed dirt road that stretched seemingly five cars across side by side. He couldn't really see beyond that considering that lining both sides of the road he had mindlessly and unknowingly walked on were mirrors.

They were tall things that seemed to stretch on in to eternity because the fog was above him and stopped him from seeing the sky and where the mirrors went. The mirrors were buried in to the ground and Raenef didn't stop to dig in the ground to see how far they were in. He just wanted to get out of this place that never seemed to end and were filled with not only monsters, but at this point this land was filled with memories Raenef didn't want to keep.

Raenef idly watched himself as he walked by. The mirrors were seemingly melded together with bronze colored frames. The melted metal stopped him from seeing beyond the mirrors, like a giant wall. The metal lines between the mirrors made a break in the mirrors so when he looked in one, he could see all of the other mirrors on the other side that were reflected right back. If he stood in front of two that happened to line up on both sides it looked like he went on forever.

It had been something new at first and Raenef had approached and wandered amongst the mirrors in wonder. Then they had grown old and Raenef didn't want to see them anymore. He preferred the fog surrounding him so that it looked like he wasn't in a confined space. Was there a roof over his head? He couldn't be sure and the not knowing was slowly starting to drive him crazy. It started as a twitch, and turned in to a feeling in this gut and finally Raenef was just sick of it altogether.

Ignoring the mirrors and multitudes of himself, Raenef trudged on, keeping his injured arm close to his side as he did so. The fog still existed, more distant then before but it was still there and Raenef wanted this silly test to end. What was he even doing? There were just mirrors. With a suffering sigh, Raenef turned his head to the left and looked dully at the mirrors.

The vast change in the mirror to his left startled him. He didn't see himself reflected, or even the mirrors behind himself. It was as if he was looking at a television screen on some type of travel program. The mirror reflected a forest, winding grey-brown tree trunks and lush greenery. There were no animals in sight but the view of it all was very much alive. Raenef didn't know when he had drifted over to it, but soon the fingers of his left hand brushed the cool surface of the metal that was the mirror.

He stared at it for a long time and wished he could hear what was going on inside it. Anything would be better then the ringing silence of the fog world that he was currently inhabiting. Letting his eyes drift a bit to the right, Raenef stared in to another mirror and watched a fish swim by in an endless blue that had to be water. A mirror to his left showed nothing but blackness littered with shining, winking white dots.

Raenef gapped at them all for a long moment. He hadn't noticed when the mirrors changed, but now that they showed something other then endless mirrors, he couldn't stop looking at them. It took him a long time before he drifted off from the mirrors that were around him and he continued down the road, glancing right and left to see what else there was in the mirrors.

A living room of a household.

A magnified glimpse of grass and bugs.

The ocean. He had never seen the ocean before. Raenef almost couldn't pull himself away from watching the waters crash against the beach in a never-ending ripple.

Raenef lost count of how many things he saw, and by the time he reached a almost normal mirror, he had gotten used to the images that he saw in them. He stopped in front of a mirror that showed the other mirrors that were behind him, but suspiciously the mirror didn't show him. Raenef reached out and pressed his hands against the cool glass and pushed, half wishing that it was just a simple door way in some kind of fun house that he could step through.

A pair of hands jerked out if the mirror in front of Raenef, grabbing Raenef's neck even as the rest of the body pushed out of the mirror and slammed the Demon Lord in training on to the ground. Upon impact, Raenef squeezed his eyes shut as all the breath left his lungs, his hands automatically reaching up to grasp the ones around his neck.

For the few seconds it took for Raenef to open his eyes again, he could swear it was that man with the too big hands and the grip that wouldn't let him breath—Raenef was choking, choking, choking! Raenef dug the nails of his good hand down the hands around his throat, expecting it to be futile. He expected gloves that were like stone and instead found the hands were fleshy and small and even with them around his throat he could still breath because they weren't big enough and they weren't even squeezing that hard.

Raenef bucked, his eyesight was hazy with disorientation as he pushed the other body that wasn't much bigger then his own, off of him. He scrambled and threw his body on top of the other.

His eyes cleared and he looked down at his attack.

And choked.

"Chris…?" It couldn't be Chris. Chris was human, and he couldn't be in another realm that was manipulated by another Lord. Perched on top of Chris's stomach, Raenef watched the other boy shake his head, he must have hit it on the ground. Maybe the other boy had been taken as well.

They locked eyes. And Raenef knew something was wrong with the other. He used both hands to reach out and touch Chris's face only for Chris to reach out and yank on his hair. Crying out, Raenef's hands flew to his head; it felt like his skull was being yanked off. The world spun as Chris pulled the other off and dragged Raenef up and on to his feet by his hair. "Chris! Chris, please stop it! This hurts." His head hurt, his hand hurt, and the other's hands had dug themselves deep in to his hair and he kept pulling! Although, his protests only got another yank on his hair.

"Shut up!" It sounded like Chris! _It had to be him!_

Raenef cried out as Chris roughly slammed him in to a mirror before pulling Raenef back and doing it again. Raenef bit his tongue on the third go and flailed his arms out to try and hit the other boy. On the forth go he shot his leg out and took Chris's knee out, sending them both sprawling to the floor with Chris's hands still knuckle deep in Raenef's abused hair. The world was spinning and his eyes were going out of focus now, "Chris, let go. Why are you hurting me?" Raenef knew he was being pitiful, but Chris was his friend!

Was his friend—was this the final result of Chris losing his memories?

A flash of white-hot pain erupted from the back of his head and his vision went white for a moment. And he realized that Chris was leaning over him, grinding Raenef's head in to the ground with all his weight behind it. "Why wouldn't I?" Chris's face was marked with a vicious snarl, and his eyes were still strange and they were nothing like they were supposed to be.

His gut tightened and Raenef felt sick.

"Demons are evil!" Chris cried out, slamming Raenef's head back in to the ground again, this time the flash of white stayed longer then the first time. "You are a demon!" Raenef cried out in protest, trying to stop the way the other boy was so casually tossing him around. "You're evil!"

"I'm going to_ kill_ you!" Chris yanked one of his hands out of Raenef's hair, pulled more then a fair amount of it out as he did it. With the free hand he scrabbled around in the dirt while Raenef reeled from the pain that had erupted on his skull. Moaning and clutching at the remaining hand, Raenef weakly moved on the ground. He was in so much pain, why was he in so much pain? He wasn't too sure, but he was just in a lot of it.

Chris found what he was looking for, a rock the size of his palm, very thick and smooth to the touch. He slammed it in to Raenef's chest. One hit, two—and the gravity of the situation fell in to Raenef's exhausted mind with the snap of a rib. Raenef screamed as he yanked his hands away from the hand holding his hair and head to the ground. Shooting his hands up, Raenef reached out and grasped on to Chris's face.

He knew this face so well. He could almost say he knew it better then Eclipse's own.

"I'm sorry!" Raenef scream joined Chris's as the boy dropped the rock and yanked his other hand out of Raenef's hair to rip at the hands that were digging in to the melting skin on his face. Raenef could feel the other burning and it was burning him and ripping his hands and he couldn't let go because he didn't want to die! He didn't want to die and Chris wasn't supposed to be the one trying to kill him and Raenef continue to scream his apologies as if that would block out the other boy's shrill screams of pure agony.

Chris's left eye boiled and popped, the juice spewing and flying over Raenef's face as he moved them so he was the one pushing the screaming and jerking Chris in to the ground.

The world blurred and Raenef didn't know where the strength to pin Chris came from, but with the other boy under him he could do more then just burn his face off. The other eye popped and if it was possible the scream got higher before his mouth melted together and it became a garble. Raenef sobbed, "I'm sorry!_ I'm sorry_!" And he pushed and pushed and then Chris's skull finally gave and melted along with the boy's brain.

Raenef was thrown off of Chris's body in its death throes.

He scrambled away from the other's body until his back pressed against one of the mirrors and he watched the body move. Twisting and turning in its last moments. Without a brain, was Chris conscious for it? Raenef didn't know, but he really hoped his first friend wasn't conscious for it. Raenef shuddered and cradled both of his hands to his chest. Both of them were smoking and the one that was already injured felt like it was going to fall off.

The smell of burnt flesh was putrid and the whole area seemed filled with it.

For some reason, the tears wouldn't come and he couldn't feel too sad. He hoped it was partially painless.

_But he had wanted to live._

Raenef stared at the body for a long time, breathing in death and recovering as much as he could while he had the chance. For a moment, he closed his eyes, lightly resting his aching skull against the mirror he was leaning against.

That couldn't have been Chris. Chris was too kind to try and hurt him. Even if Raenef was a demon, the other wouldn't go this far to hurt him. At least, not yet—each breath brought a sharp pain to his side that made it terribly hard to focus. Chris seemed like the type to turn away from him and ignore him. Even if he was a demon, even if… Raenef shivered.

That couldn't have been Chris. That was the only explanation. He had come from a mirror! There had to be some type of minor demon that could do this. Raenef opened his eyes and watched the other's body for a long moment. Willing the body to turn in to some type of demon now that he had killed it.

Chris's body didn't even twitch.

Taking a deep breath, Raenef didn't even choke on the smell anymore. Even if Chris's body didn't change, that didn't mean it had to be him. He had come out of a mirror. That had to be something important. He'd have to ask Eclipse when he got back. It just couldn't have been Chris. "Not real. This isn't real." Raenef's shaky voice turned firm as he stared at the corpse. "Its not really him." He spoke out loud to himself and the last of his faint tremors disappeared.

"It couldn't have been him. He can't be here too." Raenef nodded to himself.

"Only I made the deal so only I need to pass the tests." He felt a lot better. Of course that couldn't have been Chris! It had just been another worm! Raenef giggled for a few seconds, stopping only because it started to hurt. Of course it couldn't have been Chris, what was he, stupid? Stretching out his legs in front of himself, he continued to breath, smiling faintly as he continued to rest.

He tilted his head to the side and looked in to the mirror he was leaning against. He found that it was the mirror that the not-Chris had come out of. He blinked at it, only slightly surprised that he could finally see himself reflected in it's depths.

It was him, but at the same time it wasn't him. He looked at his hair and at his eyes and at the blood that was his and not his own. He stared for a long time before he closed his eyes and ignored the mirror.

That wasn't him.

The mirror was broken.

He avoided looking at the corpse for the rest of the time he sat there.

When he left, he picked up the rock that the not-Chris had found.

* * *

A few mirrors later, he bashed in Erutis's skull in with the rock.

A few mirrors more and Chris's father had his knees kicked out and his eyes gouged.

His Aunt's head was busted open on a mirror.

He kicked Dudley to death.

He strangled his uncle with his silk tie.

* * *

By the time Raenef had gone through three of his classmates from school, he didn't feel any regret over it whatsoever. He couldn't really remember where he had gotten a bat, he thought that the not-Erutis had been holding it while he had taken her down. Tackled her from behind and crashed the rock several times against the back of her skull.

Raenef swung the metal bat down on to the top of the head of a female classmate. He couldn't even remember her name but he watched her go down before delivering the final blow to her skull as she twitched on the floor.

He couldn't feel the pain anymore. That had to be bad but it was working for him. He eyed the handle of the baseball bat and found that bits of his skin had come off on the handle. There was blood everywhere. All over his clothes and face and leaking from his hands but he couldn't feel much for anything at the moment. Chanting to himself the same thing he had been after he left Chris, he matching his foot steps to the two words 'not real' and continued on his way.

He couldn't wait to get home. He bet Eclipse was missing him a lot.

* * *

He bludgeoned two more classmates to death before they stopped appearing.

And the mirrors were swallowed by fog.

* * *

Raenef's hands had been unable to grip the bat after so long, no matter how much he tried. It just kept slipping out so he ended up dropping the weapon and continuing on with nothing in his hands. He'd figure something out. He continued to walk, the dirt kicking up in his wake as he continued to walk and walk. Lidded eyes watched the world and it took a long, long time before he realized that he was out of the fog and the mirrors.

He glanced behind himself and only saw trees and greenery.

His eyes widened—there was live, green things all around him. Sure, the trees were sparse and the grass was half dead. But it was the most beautiful thing he had seen in a long, long time. Raenef felt his lips pull up in to a tired smile as he looked around. He blinked and grinned, seeing a castle not too far along. It might take him a while to get there because he was so tired, but he'd get there.

Raenef snorted to himself. Of course he'd past the tests. He could pass anything some little bastard fop could toss at him. Raenef, satisfied with himself, continued to walk along the dirt path made from compressed and dead grass. He had passed and it was time to go home to Eclipse to lick his wounds.

He briefly wondered about a third test before tossing it out of his mind. If the other demon couldn't count, that wasn't his problem.

He willed himself to go faster. He could faintly spot someone standing at the front of the castle.

* * *

His eyesight was blurry. More so then normal—Raenef dimly noted it as a bad sign to tell Eclipse. Things got extremely fuzzy and then clear and his sight moved back and forth between the two as he tried to examine his surroundings. His attention didn't last long with his inability to really see anything. So he continued to slowly make his way toward the figure that was waiting for him.

* * *

He had finally reached the castle!

He had gotten close enough to tell that it wasn't Krayon who was waiting for him. This person was all dark and pale, the exact opposite of the Demon Lord who had hurt him so much. Raenef would have to do something extremely painful in retribution before he ended the other Lord's life.

A few feet away from the man and he slowed to a stop.

The man has his back to him, but even he could tell the other was extremely tall. Even taller then his Uncle, and he Uncle was a tall man. Being of the short height of a child, Raenef didn't have much to compare so he instead inspected the rest of the man. He had on a black coat that shinned in the faint light that was out in this realm. It was pretty and Raenef was almost distracted by it. He looked to the man's long, long black hair that was in a slick ponytail.

Smiling faintly, Raenef stepped forward, damaged hands reaching out to touch the man's hair. But he had only taken two steps before the man turned around.

Raenef's mouth dropped open in amazement—this couldn't be none other then…

"Eclipse!" Raenef cried out, his lips cracking and bleeding with the strength of his smile and all the pain washed away with the feeling of home. A few more steps and the exhaustion wouldn't matter. A few more steps and the pain would end. The tears that had since stopped falling gathered in his eyes as he took in Eclipse's humanoid form for the first time in his life.

His skin was pale, like Raenef had judged from far away. All of the black that he wore seemed to swallow him up and it fit the other demon well. Raenef searched the man's face for the expected golden crescent moon that marked Eclipse as Eclipse. He found it as a dangling earring on the man's left ear. His cloak was held in place by a silver-white threaded rope that shinned and underneath the cloak was a black robe…

He'd try to very Eclipse's wardrobe.

Raenef smiled, holding up his arms. He was going to be held, instead of the one who did the holding. "Eclipse!" He couldn't get past the other's name. This was Eclipse, his Eclipse. The one who would remain his because he had won!

Raenef looked to the demon's violet eyes, expecting love and affection.

The cool aloofness stopped him in his tracks, arms still raised and his words from before echoed in his mind.

_Not real._

"Through the suspended air within atoms and between the threads in the tapestry of time…" Raenef thought Eclipse's voice was beautiful. It was different from when he was a cat, it was smooth and rolling with power and he just wanted to hear more of it.

_Not real…_

Raenef sobbed. "Not real…"

_…not real…_

"Ignite!"

A river of spiraling flames flowed from his hands and rammed in to Raenef's chest. There was no time to scream because the air was on fire and he sucked it in upon impact and the pain came. He burned from the inside out and everything was hurt. Raenef flew through the air for several feet before landing on his pick and skidding head over heels in a crumpled, broken heap.

He couldn't breath. Everything hurt and he couldn't even make his body twitch. His body blinked automatically as he just stared at the ground that was in front of his face, sprawled out on his stomach as he was.

Over the beating of his heart and his rasping sobs and gasps he could hear it.

_Step._

_Step-step._

_Step._

_Step-step._

Eclipse's slow footsteps were a mockery of a heart beat at rest and Raenef's heart sped up in fear in response. That wasn't Eclipse, it was a not-Eclipse, here to try and kill him. He was a fool, he couldn't win. His body wasn't even moving anymore. He had broken himself.

He was ashamed—he couldn't even get past a second task.

He was rolled over on to his back by the not-Eclipse and Raenef's eyes automatically focused on the stolen form. Raenef trembled and Eclipse brought his hands together and started to chant. But Raenef couldn't hear it over the roar of his internal scream. He was going to die and Eclipse would be lost and serving that monster of a Demon Lord! His kind, gentle and fatherly Eclipse was going away from him!

He wished he had kept the dagger.

Maybe he would have had a chance.

Eclipse's hands glowed an angry red as they descended toward him.

Raenef forgot to breath, not like he'd be able to anyway.

It wasn't supposed to end like this. Never like this… The tears that he wanted to cry evaporated as they welled up. His vision was starting to tunnel down on to Eclipse's smooth, emotionless, terribly beautiful face and he was afraid yet not afraid—

If he had to die, then maybe it was a good thing this not-Eclipse was doing it.

_"Let me in…"_ A voice, deep and powerful and sad, whispered under the rush of his heart in his ears._ "Let me in…"_ The voice gently begged. _"You've done enough…"_ Raenef felt his eyes falling shut. He was so tired, he couldn't even feel his lungs screaming for air anymore as smooth, soft fingers tightened around his throat.

_"I'll ensure our survival, my dear one."_ Even the voice was growing faint.

_"Rest now… let me in, let me in…"_

Raenef wanted to see Eclipse again.

And then everything faded out and he cried his last regret, knowing no one would hear it.

* * *

Raenef's left hand rose from where it laid on the ground, pressing against not-Eclipse's forehead as golden eyes slowly slid open. No words were said, but the incantation that ran through his mind appeared. Not-Eclipse was obliterated with an ice spear through the head.

The hands grew slack and the Raenef who wasn't Raenef took a shallow breath, grimacing at the pain of his slightly burned lungs. He shifted out of the way as not-Eclipse's corpse slumped over and he pushed himself up on to unsteady feet, only to fall back down to the ground. He struggled to push himself up and each time he was met with failure and each struggle pulled more of his precious energy out of his nonexistent reserves.

Golden eyes glared angrily down at his charred hands, gasping for each painful breath and struggling to just survive. His arms gave way and he pressed his face in to the dirt, still breathing hard. He had made it an arms width away from not-Eclipse's corpse. But he didn't think this body would go any further.

_Step._

_Step-step._

_Step._

He stilled, feeling another presence filling the area with power. He stilled completely and waited for the light, breathless steps to come to a stop. They came to a stop right in front of his head, just short of stepping on his already injured skull. It took more effort then it should have to lift his head up to see who else had come to challenge him.

His eyes narrowed as he spotted Krayon. The only words that were able to get past his lips were a rasp.

Krayon laughed jovially, clapping his hands together as he looked down at the boy. He stepped back slightly, just outside of the grasp of a weak hand that was going for his clean shoes. "Tut-tut." He shook his head sadly as he dropped his hands to his side. His lips stretched back in to a snarky smile.

"You know the deal." He informed the boy, his hands moving to rest on his hips as he looked down on him, staring in to glaring golden eyes. The boy had been through a lot, more then he had actually planned. But it all had worked out in the end, he wasn't going to take the chance of losing Eclipse this time. "Don't feel so bad." He tried to turn his smile in to something a little more friendly. "You defeated the second task. The third one was just out of your reach."

Krayon stepped back and swung loosely around with a chuckle, "I am the third task. You had no chance of defeating the glorious me." He spoke down to the boy, as if the thought of him being defeated by a baby demon was only the stuff of dreams. The boy was giving him a mutinous expression, but Krayon didn't care much for it.

He stepped back to the boy and crouched down, roughly grabbing the boy's chin and jerking him forward a little. His predatory grin was back, and Krayon laughed in his face. "Remember, the only one at fault is you!" He found it intensely amusing, did the little baby demon think he'd fight fair with Eclipse on the line?

"As on the conditions of our pact. Eclipse is mine." Hatred literally oozed off of the boy.

"And you're never to wake up." Krayon tightened his grip on the boy's chin, laughing. He was never going to wake up and as long as his body lived, the Raenef line would be put on halt once again. "I'm going to keep you here. In this dream land of mine." He caressed the boy's face. "I'll give you a life time of horrors and then some."

He caught a weak hand that tried to hit him, grasping the boy firmly by the wrist. "I'm have you clawed and ripped and maimed—but I'll never let you die." He cooed, oh no, he wasn't after his life. Raenef could keep it for however long he wanted to. He crushed the wrist in his hand and got a guttural, choking howl for his efforts.

He dropped the bloody boy, shaking the blood from his gloves with a laugh as he stood.

He paused when a hand slammed down on to his boot and the boy's fingers dug in to the soft material as if they were claws. Krayon was amused, was there still a fight left in his pathetic body? He'd have to watch the boy try and survive this place just for pure entertainment if there was.

"I'm… .. I'm not… _done_." The boy choked out, sounding like an eighty year old smoker. His voice, harsh and deep, did not belong to a child and Krayon took malicious glee in the sound. The boy's reddened, burnt face twisted in to a matching, malicious grin and his eyes glinted. Krayon felt a chill suddenly go down his spine as he noticed the sudden chill that appeared in the clearing.

Golden eyes…

The boy's eyes were supposed to be green. Why did they change?

"I'll kill you!" The boy roared, lurching up and grabbing on to Krayon to use the other's body to haul himself on to his feet. His voice, terrible and twisted and furious echoed in the clearing around them. "I'll kill you and take us both down! If I have to die!"

"If it has to end like this, I'll take you and the child with me!"

"We'll all die together!"

Krayon clawed at the hands twisted up in his superfluous clothing as the boy dropped open his burnt mouth and started to scream. It started out hoarse and animal-like before rising suddenly in pitch and Krayon clawed as his ears started to ring from the sound. He clawed but for some reason the hands wouldn't let go. The soft whites and blue lights of the spell were gathering around them now and he had. To. Get. Away.

He couldn't get away until the brat was off of him. He couldn't teleport away until he was off, otherwise the scream would follow him to safety and destroy him.

Krayon's scream went unheard underneath the boy's inhuman shriek and Krayon broke away…

And he teleported as the attack reached its climax.

* * *

Krayon dropped to the ground in his castle, hands clamped over his ears and screaming even if the only thing he could hear was a ringing that never ended.

White light flashed outside and the castle shook.

The shaking went on for several minutes before it ended. The castle had withstood the Scream of the Soul. Krayon dimly noted that as he felt his throat move in a whimper even if he couldn't hear it. He couldn't hear anything but that blasted ringing.

If there was anything left of that child, he was going to make it suffer dearly for this.

He struggled to his feet and moved to his chambers. He needed to recover. He would recover before collecting his prize.

_Eclipse is mine._

_

* * *

_

**A/N : **Well.. that concludes this chapter. Its been one of the shorter chapters that I've written in a while, hope no one minds it. There will be one more chapter after this that will stand as the epilogue for this story. And then I'll be moving on to the sequal for it (I know a lot of people want that one done). So, enjoy the story as it comes to a close. I'll be revamping whats already written in the sequal. So, review and tell me if you liked this one opposed to the old version of the story, so on and so forth. Hope you enjoyed it.


	11. All the Dreams you Have

**Chapter 11: All the Dreams you Have…  


* * *

**

The doctors diagnosed it as a coma.

Of course, that didn't explain how his pitch colored hair had bled to an old man's white.

Raenef hadn't woken even the slightest for a month. He had been admitted to the hospital the morning after his birthday party. Hejem had driven the boy to the hospital, making the necessary phone call to Raenef's relatives on the way. Chris had been ordered to stay home and Erutis was to watch him.

There had been no head trauma, or trauma of any sort. The doctors tested for allergies, toxins, anything that could have shut his body down. They went in to his medical history, they looked in to Petunia's side of the family's medical history and couldn't find anything. They would have looked in to Raenef's father's side of the family but not only was the man deceased, so was every other relative on that side of the family and there were no accessible medical records to find.

Raenef had been settled down in to a long-term hospital room.

Two months passed. Visits to Raenef's unconscious form slowed from daily to weekly to every other week.

The neighborhood as a whole was giving the Dursleys their support, there were almost daily visits to the Dursley's home from the families of Privet Drive.

By the third month, Eclipse had vacated the Dursley home and appeared to take residence in Chris and Hejem's home. Hejem assured Petunia that Raenef's 'pet' would be well taken care of and would not be lost.

Eclipse stayed in Hejem's office, making a place for himself on the window seal. Not much for conversation passed between Hejem and Eclipse in the early days. It took till the second month for Eclipse to finally crack and bequeath Hejem with his worries and trouble—and to talk about the aggravating need to be by Raenef's side that his unconscious body in a hospital did not allow. They discussed the strange energy both men felt that night, the frightening seizure Raenef's body gained that morning.

Three months passed. Raenef's brain was functional, as in there were waves and activity. But the boy never stirred. He was expected to wake up any time, but the longer that he went without actually waking up was of great concern. Feeding tubes were a constant for him now, surgically implanted in to his body so that he didn't lack nutrition. He didn't need a breathing machine, but he was constantly hooked up to machines to assure his continued life.

At the three month mark, even though the brain activity was so high… the hospital started to talk to Petunia and Vernon about their… 'options'.

* * *

Eclipse stared moodily out of the window. It was the third month now and it was just too cruel—no one knew what had happened. Eclipse and Hejem didn't know what happened. Oh, they both knew that another party was involved, and that magic had somehow done in his little lord. But without the ability to observe his master, he was powerless to do anything to help. He had had Hejem go in his stead, but the man was not a demon. Even for a holy man, there were things that only a demon could sense.

It was two months too long to trace the assailant by a magically signature anyway.

Swiping a claw at the window he was staring out of, Eclipse narrowed his eyes as the fur over his body prickled up. No, he wasn't happy with his current predicament at all. He… desperately wanted to be at Raenef's side. Not only had he sworn to the other, and also to himself, that he would remain at Raenef's side, he had promised himself that Raenef would never be attacked again.

Lo and behold, Raenef was attacked. And he had been right next to the boy the whole time. He had been right at Raenef's side and he hadn't done a single thing. He hadn't been able to do a single thing. He didn't even understand it… he still didn't understand it.

Why? Why did this occur?

_There was no answer._

And there was no one to ask while he remained in this powerless form.

Eclipse contemplated moving from the window seal of Hejem's second floor's office. There was plenty of room for him to walk around. And even then he could just go to his 'borrowed' room that Hejem was allowing him the use of. They had come to a simple agreement for future prosperity—they would both scratch each other's back when it was needed. They would help each other within the binds of culture and religion.

But Hejem was unable to help in this case. Even without the scholar followers of Hejem's faith, or worldwide libraries of great knowledge… Even with all of that, Demons still kept their secrets far from human eyes. Eclipse did not find it surprising that Hejem turned up nothing, even if he did find it disappointing.

Demons would not share their weaknesses with humans, why would they share their strengths?

Eclipse withheld the sigh as he stretched out his body delicately. He could feel the back pains that came from not moving around enough. He'd have to start taking some more walks. And who knew, maybe it could help him sort out his tension and anxieties. Closing his eyes for a moment, Eclipse just breathed and calmed himself back down.

A few long moments later, he turned his head to look to the floor…

But instead locked eyes with the last person he wanted to see for the next several hundred years. And Krayon looked furious. Decked once again in one of his frivolous outfits of gold and earth and too tight pants and too many wind spirits fluttering around his cape and hair—Krayon was always a sight of pain to see. Eclipse tensed, his hair moving to stand in as he took in the Demon Lord's furious eyes.

One didn't need to be a genius to connect he dots. He put his lord and Krayon's dots together and…

"What did you do?" Eclipse hissed, forgoing any niceties with the Demon Lord he was sure was the cause of his little lord's coma. There were to be no formalities when involved with Krayon, the man who had been a thorn in his side since Raenef the fifth.

Krayon merely raised his eyebrows at Eclipse's blatantly rude display and sneered, "why, what makes you think the glorious me would have anything to do with something so menial?" He shifted his head daintily to the side and the wind spirits in his hair shot his elegant curls off to the side to correspond with the movement. Eclipse narrowed his eyes at the other, "why else would you be here, then." It wasn't a question, it was the logic that came with Krayon's appearance.

Eclipse had, at one point in his long, long life, assumed that Krayon would totally remove himself with involvement with the Raenef line. Near the end of the fifth's life, he hadn't seen Krayon in years. With the arrival of the sixth, Krayon had come back with a vengeance and he had come back… different. Sure, he had always been sadistic before, but he had, during the fourth and fifth Raenef's lives, been something of a ditz.

He had grown in to his own and became a demon lord to be fears when he came back.

Eclipse pulled his lips back from his teeth and warily watched the demon. The demon with furious eyes and such an amused smile—"what did you do?" He needed to fix the other's petty cruelties. It was already going to be hard on Raenef when he woke up again, he didn't need to sleep any longer then this.

Krayon eased his tapered body slowly off of the desk he had been perched on to allow his heeled, booted feet to touch the floor. "That really isn't the question at the moment." Krayon spoke airily, closing his eyes as he gracefully tossed his hands in to the air as he approached the window seal that had been housing Eclipse for the last few months. Krayon moved until he was leaning against the wall next to the window, looking down at the cursed demon.

"The question is… why are you so… weak. Pitiful. What is with that form?" Krayon reached out and flicked one of Eclipse's delicate ears, getting a hiss from the cat as well as the other backing up to the other side of the large window seal. Eclipse wasn't letting up for a moment. The other's act would not fool him. Calm and cool may be how the other looked, but he was none of those if the demon's eyes were any clue. "What does it matter to you?" Eclipse kept his voice low and did his best to refrain from hissing.

"Because you are mine." One of Krayon's hands shot out to grab Eclipse by the neck, but the advisor dodge and waved away from the hand. Krayon wasn't moving from where he was leaving against the wall, so Eclipse had no problem evading for the current moment. If Eclipse's current body could scowl, he would be scowling. As it was, his face merely wrinkled up as he growled.

Such a claim was preposterous, and Eclipse promptly told the Demon Lord so.

Krayon's arrogant laugh didn't make Eclipse feel any better.

"I took in your little lord for a wager, with your servitude on the line. The glorious me, of course, completely defeated him." It really wasn't bragging so much at this point. Krayon reached out and pressed a hand against the window as he stepped closer to Eclipse.

"You're mine…"

"But as of now, you're far too pathetic to keep." Krayon's features twisted as he made another swipe. Eclipse dodged, but it ran a lot closer that time around then the first grab. "If I'm too pathetic, you should take your leave while returning my Lord back to his natural state."

Krayon shook his head, "oh, no. Not in any of your dreams." He chuckled at his own private joke.

"… This body of yours appears to be a rather unique curse," Krayon hummed, moving to tap some of his long fingernails against the glass. "With set conditions, from what I can observe." He hummed, eyeing Eclipse for a long moment before dismissing the subject. It was of little consequence for now.

"I have… better plans now. He may not be fixed correctly, but I can toss his consciousness back in to his body, return him to this plane and allow the boy a chance to regain his strength…" He didn't have to worry about Eclipse blabbing anything of his plans, so Krayon allowed himself to speak lightly with the other.

Krayon looked down his nose at Eclipse and a smirk as cruel as it was jagged explained the glint that had appeared in his eyes. Eclipse felt the fur on his back rising as the air grew thick with tension and he tensed from his spot on the window seal, eyes wide as he stared at the sudden threat that Krayon was making himself out to be. The Demon Lord hadn't needed to speak a word, his intent was clear in the very air around him as he took a single step forward.

But Krayon was always one for theatrics.

"Well… For now, for now you'll be my pet." Krayon laughed as his too quick hand slammed down on to Eclipse's neck, slamming his weakling form in to the seal that he had been perched on. There had just been no escape from it. Dazed, Eclipse hung limply in the air as Krayon held him up by the fur on the back of his neck.

"I'll keep you close to my side… until your little insult to demon kind can suitably take his training again. I'll rid you of this… curse." Krayon's lips had turned up cruelly as he swung Eclipse side to side by the demon's fur. "I'll give you your beautiful, powerful body back to you…" He reached out with his other hand and scratched the cat's chin even as Eclipse regained his bearings to snap his teeth at the demon.

Eclipse didn't catch that finger.

"And I'll promptly wipe that little snot's existence from the planet." Krayon's face glowed with contempt, anger and something akin to pleasure. Not only had that brat had the gall to injure him so, the little bastard had kept Eclipse's curse from him as a sure sign that Krayon wouldn't be able to eliminate him. It now told Krayon that the boy never planned on having Eclipse change his services.

Krayon would force a change. He wanted the prestige, he wanted the status that came with Eclipse.

But overall… he had never gotten as much amusement anywhere else. The Raenef line was disgusting, disappointing yet amusing at the same time. That line had found a human that he had truly been interesting in before she had died. He had been bored for so long, and now that the Raenef line wasn't as extinct as he had assumed it was from so many years of quiet… He had inserted himself neatly in to the Raenef's life and had promptly ruined it for his own amusement.

This, Eclipse's curse, was an honest set back.

But nothing could ruin his good hopes.

Eclipse hissed and moved to claw at him, but Krayon promptly smacked the cursed demon in to the wall and dazed him again. Readying his incantation, Krayon belted it out, watched Eclipse's futile struggle with great amusement.

…so maybe he was taking pleasure out of Eclipse's pain for his vindication, but this was a century's resentment coming through for the other. Krayon did not appreciate being slighted. Not in the leas t bit.

He finished the incantation and disappeared, Eclipse's last futile yowl of protest fell on to no one's ears.

* * *

The next morning Raenef awoke in the hospital in a screaming fit.

* * *

By that evening, he slowly awoke from a sedative coma to fragmented memories and no clue of who he was, who the Dursleys were… or to who anyone was. He didn't know any names or places, he couldn't remember his schooling, and Raenef's underused muscles were put in even more strain over the fact that he couldn't remember how to properly move.

He was immediately started on rehabilitation and he flourished under his Aunt's love and care when she was in the hospital and he connected with Dudley as the boy once again offered Raenef the proverbial olive branch.

The damage that had been done had been extensive, but Raenef would rebound. Or hopefully he would rebound. The nurses were starting to report crying fits during the night, nightmares that made him wake up panting or in screams. Night terrors, Raenef had trouble sleeping but he never really remembered what he dreamed about.

It were the little things that were adding up.

On the fourth month in to Raenef's stay, he was released from the hospital and plans were to reintroduce him to his schooling at a most basic level. The doctors had been sure that his basic skills would return quickly with a reintroduction in to school. The Dursleys found a tutor to help things along with Raenef, to get the other back to his place in the world.

Raenef still had his nightmares, and sometimes he woke up screaming. But without the cause or any real way to stop it, they just prayed that they would ease with time. And a month later they did.

All things considering… Raenef didn't come back the same. He was still shy, but it was no longer the docile shy that Raenef had owned. He was distant with his old friends to the point where they all slowly drifted from him. Dudley started to ignore the boy, and he was slowly isolated. His memories didn't really come back, but he was able to relearn the school material at a decent pace for him to be placed within the school to work with special teachers to return him to his proper level.

Hejem and Chris moved from the neighborhood, and they didn't leave a forwarding address. Petunia was still bitter over the fact that Raenef's pet, Eclipse, had disappeared.

Erutis slowly drifted off to children her age. She stopped coming around.

Petunia watched, pained that Raenef had fallen so far from himself, but she was more then determined to right the boy. To help him gain back his friends and his life. She was starting to smother him, but he loved the familial attention and he accepted the smothering with a smile and eager hugs.

He was fixing himself… but he was coming up wrong. This wasn't Raenef.

In the fifth month after the incident, Petunia realized just how much Raenef… no, how much Harry had changed.

* * *

Petunia watched, horrified and frozen in place as the plate that slipped through Raenef's fingers slowed down and hovered above the ground. Raenef watched it as well with wide, curious eyes that were filled with amazement and awe.

This shouldn't have happened. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Everything had been so perfect.

She watched, numb, as the boy leaned down and gently picked the plate up, feeling it for strings as he did so. She continued to stand by the kitchen table, next to the supplies she had pulled out to make sandwiches as Raenef… no, it wasn't Raenef anymore. It was a hollow, bitter realization but Petunia knew, in this single instant, that the young boy she had loved as a second son was truly and wholly dead.

Only Harry Potter, Lily's son, remained in the wake of Raenef's 'death'.

There would be no recovery back to Raenef. The memories of these years may come back to the child eventually, but he wouldn't be Raenef no matter how much he may remember. He could never return now that he had done it. There was no return from magic.

Her knees gave out from under her and Petunia fell back on to the seat of her dress. Raenef… no, 'Harry' jumped, startled as he looked over to his Aunt as if realizing that she was there for the first time. He smiled, wide and toothy and innocent as he bashfully held up the plate to his Aunt. "It didn't break!" He said as he continued his journey and placed it on the table. He paused, shifted and looked to his Aunt with that same curious expression he had held since he had been brought home from the hospital with little to none of his memories intact.

"Aunt Petunia, why are you sitting on the floor?" He asked, turning to face his Aunt with his small hands resting on the edge of the table. It was like watching a train wreck, Petunia supposed. It was like seeing one's life flash before their eyes except it wasn't her life she was seeing, but of the events that led to Raenef's loss of memory and subsequent death where only Lily's offspring remained. If she hadn't let him go to that sleepover, he would have been just fine. If she hadn't allowed him to go, he wouldn't have been in the coma.

She didn't know for sure, but she knew that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong. If he hadn't lost his memories, he could have gone on his whole life as someone normal! Someone without any abnormal traits… Someone who wouldn't leave her… Her heart clenched as she watched his curious face start to wilt in the presence of her scrutiny and silence. He could have grown up here, with her, and gone to University and make a life for himself in this world.

But now he was only _borrowed goods_.

Just like Lily had been.

Petunia lowered her eyes and whispered harshly for the boy to go to his room. The boy hesitated and Petunia almost had to yell at him—he scampered out in time before she could bring herself to do it.

He was only borrowed goods. Never to belong to the world she lived in. Something hot and terrible rushed through her. A familiar old feeling that had died with Lily, a feeling she hadn't expected to feel again while the boy lived a happy and normal life. The hot rush of jealousy, of envy and of pain; the emotion was so strong Petunia was almost sick because of it. He had been family. Her second son was dead now because Harry Potter didn't belong to her, even she wouldn't be as foolish as to believe he would be able to stay now that he had showed his… magic.

Lily had been condemned just as easily. Magic was a poison that took all that was good from her life—Petunia knew this and had accepted it and had praised God every day for not allowing Raenef to be 'gifted' with such a trait. He had been so happy and whole; but with one single taste of magic he was now tarnished beyond repair. Lily had tried to explain what using magic had felt like. Petunia had seen the near fanatical gleam in her sister's eyes as she had spoken.

Magic was a _poison_, an _addiction_. Harry would soon fall under it's terrible spell.

He wouldn't want to stay. He would be just like her baby sister. They were just children, awed and amazed at the idea that magic really existed. But Petunia knew the truth behind it all. Even with something was beautiful and as glorious as magic appeared to be, the world wasn't made for magic, humans weren't made to really use magic. That was why it was such a poison. It was such a violating addiction that ruined the happiness of all that it touched. Magic was an abnormality to the world and it created an imbalance.

Like Lily, Harry would soon be going to that place where she couldn't protect Lily. Leaning heavily against the table, Petunia acknowledged the fact that he would die, just like her. Magic would be the death of him, just like her.

Magic was the death sentence here. It was the gift turned back on its owner.

It was a poison that Harry would die of as well.

With great power came great consequence. Human beings had to pay for the life that they were given. They had to work for it and the hardships that normal people faced day to day was the price that people like her paid. But for the magic that was given there had to be a sacrifice of some sort, a special sacrifice. There was something that needed to be given in order to pay back the Creator for giving such a gift.

Harry's parents had paid for it and Harry would pay his price as well. The price to be paid would be Harry's life, like all of the magical people before him, a life would be what was needed to pay off the debt he had made with the creator. To live, someone had to die. Harry was already gone, and his happiness would soon be the price. Like a drug addiction, he would crave more and more magic. He would want to use it more and soon his very happiness would depend on it.

He would be totally detached from her then, and Petunia knew that, while that initial letter that came with Harry on that doorstep spoke of peace in that world of poison, she knew that there would be no peace. Not for them. Closing her eyes and resting her forehead against the table…

…Petunia prayed with her tears in silence—and wished a painless death for the boy she used to claim as son who was now, no more then a stranger. And a stranger she would stay to him, not an ounce of warmth would touch the boy from her. She needed to distance herself. Her son was dead, and she would not endure a second death.

Harry Potter was already dead. He had died the moment that plate floated so innocently above the ground.

* * *

Harry leaned against the door of the smallest bedroom of the house with a sob, his hands reaching up and scrub harshly at his eyes. He didn't understand what he was doing wrong! No one… no one liked him anymore. The people who had been his friends had left him…

…the people who were supposed to be his family were disappointed in him…

_He was trying his best!_

He wanted to remember, but at the same time there was a faint echo of knowledge inside him that said he didn't really want to remember. And Harry feared over the fact, he was so scared. He couldn't remember what happened and no one understood it. And he was so scared of finding out now. He was scared of a lot of things now.

And he just didn't now how to deal with it.

Harry slide down to the floor of his room with a whimper.

And he always felt so alone! It was an ache that he had been feeling ever since he woke up. He didn't know how to describe it, but he knew that something was gone. Something more vital then his memory and something more dear then his family.

And just then… when that plate had stopped from hitting the floor he had been filled with… something. Harry was hesitant to call it magic, but he wanted to call it something. He wanted it to be something he'd feel again because that something had made the painful ache of his body… better. He hadn't felt so sad for a few brief, blissful moments and he wanted that feeling again.

He wanted magic. It made him feel better. He wanted it so, so terribly bad.

He didn't want to feel this empty anymore. Raenef turned his eyes to the items of his room and willed them to float. The possessions in his room levitated up from the ground with a black crackle…

And Harry smiled through his sniffles as something akin to liquid happiness started to flow through his veins and he told himself…

… this was home…

_…right?_

Harry Potter felt like he had gone home the moment Hagrid introduced him to the Wizarding World. His place in the world grew and the feeling inside assuaged itself into something so distant that the child soon forgot it and moved on.

He moved on. He was home.

Petunia Dursley forced herself to stop mourning. She moved on.

Eclipse, in pain, could not move on. And he wished dearly to be back at the side of the child he was meant to protect and help grow. But in his weak state, he couldn't even dream of such a thing. He and Raenef were at the mercy of another Demon Lord…

And he mourned for his weakness, and he mourned for Raenef's pain…

And the remembered promises that broke faster then rain.

* * *

_You haven't seen the world outside for days_

_You sleep_

_You hope_

_You wait_

_Imagination disappears and all the dreams you have_

_You save_

-Our Lady Peace, "Right Behind You"

* * *

**A/N** : Alright... this is all wrapped up now. I guess some things probably went unexplained. If this didn't make any sense to some of you or if you see any inconsistencies... please point them out. Like just now, I noticed that chapter ten was actually called 'chapter eleven' and I hadn't noticed. If something like that shows up, someone would be willing to tell me, right? Either way, read and review and I'll do my best to get to work on the sequal soon.

**A/N 2 :** ... oh dear, Thank you _so_ much Black Flash. You really saved me there. I hope the edit turned out alright. Thank you so much for telling me about that. I should have known about the health care. I guess it just slipped my mind too much since I don't actually live in the UK. Thank you a bunch.


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